PATNA: All the major political parties in the state have given party tickets to candidates having criminal backgrounds. National Election Watch (NEW), in its survey, has said that 44 per cent candidates having criminal back-grounds figure in the first list of candidates released by the BJP, Janata Dal (U), RJD, Congress and LJP.

Although the candidates are yet to file their affidavits with Election Commission for the current elections, NEW has looked at the background of the candidates announced by the BJP, JD(U), Congress, RJD and LJP by going through their affidavits they filed in previous assembly elections.

Although leaders of all the political parties had give assurances that they will not field candidates having criminal backgrounds in 2010 assembly elections, a look at their earlier affidavits show a different story.