Source: 
The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/assembly-elections-2013/rajasthan-assembly-elections/Rajasthan-assembly-elections-15-of-candidates-have-criminal-cases-against-them/articleshow/26323075.cms
Date: 
24.11.2013
City: 
New Delhi

NEW DELHI: Out of the 733 candidates analysed 111 candidates (15%) have declared criminal cases against them. Out of the 111 candidates who have declared criminal cases, 62 have declared serious criminal cases. These include murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, criminal intimidation and crime against women.

This was revealed in the analysis of criminal, financial, age, education, gender and other details of contesting candidates in the Rajasthan 2013 assembly elections. The state is going for polling in December 1, 2013.

Rajasthan Election Watch (REW) and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analysed the self-sworn affidavits ofcandidates from all the major political parties and outgoing Independent MLAs contesting in the Rajasthan State Assembly Elections. A total of 2087 candidates filed affidavits with the ECI among whom REW and ADR have analysed 733 candidates.

Candidates from BJP, Congress, BSP, SP, CPM, CPI, NCP, 11 outgoing Independent MLAs, one outgoing JD (U) MLA and two candidates from National People's Party (NPEPT) were considered for this report.

As per the report released in the for 28 (14%) of 199 candidates fielded by INC have declared criminal cases against them while 31 (16%) out of 199 candidates from BJP and 26 (14%) out of 190 candidates fromBSP have declared criminal cases in their affidavits.15(41%) out of 37 CPM candidates have declared criminal cases.

In a party-wise comparison of candidates with criminals cases with 2008 Assembly Elections, BJP had 10% candidates with criminal cases in the 2008 Assembly Elections which has risen to 16% in 2013 Assembly Elections. BSP had 15% candidates with criminal cases in the 2008 Assembly Elections which has gone down to 14% in 2013. CPM had 58% candidates with criminal cases in the 2008 which has gone down to 41% in 2013 while there were no change in the percentage of candidates (14%) with criminal cases fielded by Congress between two elections.

One candidate have declared murder charges against himself while nine candidates declared attempt to murder charges. Three candidates each from CPM and Congress, one candidate each from BJP, NCP and one independent candidate have declared attempt to murder charges.

Four candidates have declared kidnapping charges against them, while Nawal Kishore Meena of Congress from Bamanwas constituency has declared a case related to word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman (IPC-509). Two candidates have declared cases under Prevention of Corruption Act.

Of the 733 candidates analysed, 346 (47%) are crorepatis. The average asset of these 733 candidates contesting in the 2013 Assembly Elections is Rs 2.97 Crores. The average asset of 727 candidates from these political parties and independent MLAs in 2008 Rajasthan Assembly elections was Rs 1.43 Crores.

The average asset per candidate forBJP (199 candidates) is Rs 4.36 Crores, for 199 Congress candidates the average is Rs.4.79 Crores and the average assets of BSP (190 candidates) is Rs 93.43 Lakhs in 2013 Assembly elections. Eleven outgoing Independent MLAs declared an average assets of Rs 2.49 Crores and two candidates from NPEPT declared an average assets of Rs 2.13 Crores.The average asset per candidate for BJP, Congress and BSP in 2008 Assembly elections were Rs 1.91 Crores, Rs 2.19 Crores and Rs 87.19 Lakhs respectively.

The top three candidates with high declared assets are Vishwendra Singh of Congress from Deeg-Kumher Constituency with declared assets worth Rs 118.96 crores followed by Prem Singh of BJP from Neem Ka Thana Constituency with assets worth Rs 87.70 crores and Anjana Udailal of Congress from Nimbahera Constituency with assets worth Rs 65.55 crores.

A total of 364 (50%) candidates out of 733 analysed are graduates or have higher degrees. 359 (49%) candidates have educational qualification of 12th pass and below.

Out of 733 candidates analysed, only 66 (9%) women are contesting in the Rajasthan 2013 Assembly Elections. Among the major political parties, Congress and BJP has fielded 23 and 26 women candidates respectively while 9 women candidates are contesting under a BSP ticket.

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