55% candidates in Oppn, 40% in BJP face criminal charges
RANCHI: Fifty-five per cent candidates from the opposition’s alliance — of the JMM, Congress and the RJD — contesting the second phase of Jharkhand polls are facing criminal charges, while 40% candidates from ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have declared criminal cases against themselves.
Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), which has analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all 260 candidates, has found that a total of 67 candidates are facing criminal cases, including 44 of them declaring serious criminal charges against them.
Altogether 20 assembly constituencies will go to polls in the second phase on December 7 and more than 47.93 lakh voters are expected to exercise their franchise from these seats.
JMM and Congress have jointly fielded 11 candidates facing criminal charges in the phase. The two parties are contesting all 20 seats. While JMM is fighting on 14 seats, Congress is fighting on six seats. Of the 14 JMM candidates, seven candidates have declared criminal cases against them. Similarly, Congress’s four contenders are facing criminal cases, said the ADR report.
BJP has fielded eight candidates with criminal charges in the second phase. Chief minister Raghubar Das has also declared two cases against him in his affidavit to the Election Commission, as per the ADR report. However, BJP office bearers claimed that
the cases are not serious in nature and charges have not been framed yet.
Babulal Marandi-led Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) has fielded candidates in all 20 seats and eight of them are facing criminal charges. AJSU Party is contesting 12 seats in second phase and it has fielded five candidates with criminal cases.
However, Jharkhand Party candidate from Tamar seat, Kundan Pahan — once a dreaded Maoist who surrendered before police in September 2017 — has topped the chart of criminal charges. Pahan has been facing 44 cases, including murder, theft, extortion and kidnapping. Pahan will contest the polls from inside the jail.