Among political parties, the Congress has the highest number of candidates with criminal cases, the Association for Democratic Reforms has said.
The percentage of candidates facing criminal charges in Rajasthan has risen between the 2013 and 2018 assembly elections, the Association for Democratic Reforms has said.
Rajasthan goes to polls on December 7, and the results will be declared on December 11.
The ADR looked at 2,188 out of 2,294 candidates in the fray for the Rajasthan elections, and found that 320 or 14.6% have criminal cases pending against them. Of these, 195 or 8.9% have declared “serious criminal cases”.
In 2013, of the 2,030 candidates that ADR analysed, 11% had criminal cases against them, and 6.9% were facing serious charges.
Among political parties, the Congress has the highest number of candidates with criminal cases, ADR reported. “Among the major parties, 33 (17%) out of 198 candidates analysed from Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), 43 (22%) out of 193 candidates analysed from Indian National Congress (INC), 26 (18%) out of 141 candidates analysed from AAP, and 31 (17%) out of 178 candidates analysed from BSP have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits,” ADR has said.
According to the organisation, there are 34 constituencies in Rajasthan where three or more candidates have criminal cases against them.