18% candidates for Assembly polls in five states face criminal cases: study
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New Delhi: A sizable number of candidates for Assembly polls in five states are facing criminal cases.
The study by Association for Democratic Reforms and the National Election Watch found that at least 18 percent are charged with criminal cases, Scroll reported.
The votes in all five states including Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana will be counted on December 3.
The finding comes after analyzing affidavits of 8,051 candidates of the 8,054 contesting polls in all these states.
Of them 959 candidates, making up around 12%, have declared to be facing serious criminal cases.
The serious criminal cases against them could carry a maximum punishment of five years or more.
The offences include non-bailable ones, an electoral offence, those related to loss to the exchequer alongside assault, murder, kidnap, rape and crimes against women.
The cases that 22 candidates declared are related to murder, 107 candidates face charges over crimes against women; of them, five candidates are fighting cases related to rape, according to the report.
Telangana reported highest number of candidates with criminal background, which include 45 cases against women, 27 candidates facing attempt to murder and seven murder cases.
Rajasthan is second in line with 36 candidates are charged with crimes against women, and also there are 34 cases of attempt to murder and four murder cases.
As many as 24 candidates in Madhya Pradesh are facing cases over crimes against women. There are 17 cases of attempt to murder and 10 murder cases.
Four candidates in Chhattisgarh are booked for attempt to murder, two in crimes against women and one faces murder case.
Mizoram recorded lowest number of candidates with criminal records; none of the candidates in the state is declared to be facing charges for crimes against women, murder or attempt to murder.