New Delhi: A third of the candidates contesting in the second phase of Bihar Assembly elections have criminal records, with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) fielding the maximum number of such candidates, the Association of Democratic Reforms report (ADR) report said on Tuesday.
The ADR said it analysed the self sworn affidavits of all 1,463 candidates who are contesting in the Bihar Assembly Elections Phase II and found 502 (34 per cent) have criminal cases registered against them.
In the second phase of polls, 36 out of 56 candidates of the RJD, 29 out of 46 candidates of the BJP, 14 out of 24 candidates of the Congress, 28 out of 52 candidates of the LJP, 16 out of 33 candidates of the BSP and 20 out of 43 candidates of the JD(U) have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
Of all the candidates analysed, 27 per cent had declared serious criminal cases against themselves, including rape, murder, assault and kidnapping.
"The directions of the Supreme Court have no effect on the political parties in selection of candidates as they have again followed their old practice of giving tickets to around 34% candidates with criminal cases," the ADR said.
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"All major parties contesting in Bihar phase II elections have given tickets to 47 per cent to 64 per cent candidates who have declared criminal cases against themselves," it added.
The Supreme Court in its directions dated February 13, 2020 had specifically instructed political parties to give reasons for such selection and why other individuals without criminal antecedents could not be selected as candidates.
The average of assets per candidate contesting in the Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 Phase II is Rs 1.72 crore, the ADR report said.
Giving details about the crorepati candidates contesting in the second phase of Bihar elections phase II, ADR said that out of the 1,463 candidates, 495 (34 per cent) are crorepatis.
Among the major parties, 39 out of 46 candidates of the BJP, 20 out of 24 candidates of the Congress, 46 out of 56 candidates of the RJD, 35 out of 43 candidates of the JD(U), 38 out of 52 candidates of the LJP and 11 out of 33 candidates of the BSP have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.
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