The ADR report shows a shocking precedence of criminal records of the candidates battling it out in the second phase of Bihar Assembly elections.

Behind the glitter of wealth and power, it has come to light that nearly one in every three candidates contesting in the second phase of Bihar assembly elections has at least one or more criminal case registered against them.

According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report, a large number of candidates in this phase face serious criminal charges, hinting at a link between criminal world and authority in Bihar politics.

Of the 44 Janata Dal (United) candidates, 14 have criminal cases registered against them, which accounts for 32 percent. There are cases registered against 38 out of 70 candidates of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which is 54 percent of their candidates. Of these, 27 candidates have serious cases against them. Out of the 37 Congress candidates, 25 have cases registered against them, which is 68 percent. Of these, 20 are of serious nature. The largest number is from the BJP; 30 out of 53 BJP candidates are tainted, which totals 57 percent. Twenty of them are facing serious cases.

A large number of candidates with criminal record are seen even from other parties. Out of the 6 CPI(ML) candidates, five have cases registered against them, which is a high 83 percent. Out of 117 candidates of Jan Suraj Party (JSP), 58 have cases against them, which is 50 percent of the total. Of these 58, 51 candidates have serious charges against them. Candidates of the VIP Party too are tainted, with five of seven (71 percent) candidates having cases registered against them. Similarly, nine out of 15 LJP(R) have cases against them, which is 60 percent.

Talking about the top ten candidates in Bihar, highest number of cases have been registered against Jan Suraaj Party candidate, Manish Kashyap (Chanpatia). A total of 56 serious IPC sections is registered against him, in which 22 are of serious nature. Independent candidate Sanjeet Kumar Badal Gupta (Harlakhi) faces 45 felony charges, of which, 14 cases have been filed. RJD's Deva Gupta (Motihari) faces 40 felony charges, of which 28 have been filed.

The ADR report states, this dark nexus of high crime rate and politics is not new in Bihar. Several candidates face serious charges such as murder, kidnapping, robbery, intimidation, and violence. The report indicates, 'more powerful a candidate greater their chances of winning elections in Bihar.'

Election analysts call this as "influence politics, where even criminal reputations translate into vote bank gains". On the other hand, voters also argued that such candidates are considered 'go getters', who can do their work.

Political analysts say, this ADR report serves as a warning to democracy. "When more than half of the candidates have criminal cases filed against them, it raises questions about the sanctity of elections," they said. Legal experts say it is time for political parties to ensure transparency in ticket distribution, and voters must also exercise caution in their ticket distribution.