60% from DMK, 36% from AIADMK face criminal cases

NEW DELHI: Nearly 60 per cent of the candidates fielded by the DMK and more than one-third of AIADMK candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls have criminal cases against them, revealed an analysis by a poll rights body. The analysis also showed that the second and third richest candidates among those in fray for the first phase of the general election are from Tamil Nadu.

In all, 42 of the 102 Lok Sabha seats going to polls in the general election’s first phase have three or more candidates facing criminal cases, said the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which analysed the sworn affidavits of 1,618 candidates out of the 1,625 contesting the first phase.

Out of the 1,618 candidates, 252 (16%) are named in criminal cases, while 161 (10%) face serious criminal charges. Seven face murder cases, while 19 are implicated in attempt to murder cases. Thirty-five candidates have hate speech cases booked against them.

Eighteen candidates have cases related to crimes against women, and one of them faces

rape charge under section 376 of the IPC, said ADR, which did the analysis along with National Election Watch, a coalition of civil society groups for domestic election monitoring.

The analysis showed that 42 or 41 per cent of the 102 seats scheduled to go to polls in the first of the seven-phase elections are “red alert” constituencies – seats where three or more candidates have declared criminal cases in their affidavits.

The analysis also highlighted wealth disparities

among candidates. Around 28 per cent of these candidates have assets exceeding Rs 1 crore, while the average is Rs 4.51 crores per candidate, with notable discrepancies across party lines.

Among the major parties, more than Rs 1 crore assets have been declared by all four candidates of the RJD, 35 (97%) of 36 candidates of the AIADMK, 21 (96%) of 22 candidates of the DMK, 69 (90%) of 77 candidates of the BJP, 49 (88%) of 56 candidates of the Congress, four (80%) of five candidates of the TMC and 18 (21%) of 86 candidates of the BSP.