As many as 186 candidates for 77 assembly seats which are going to polls in Odisha in the second phase on April 17 have declared criminal cases against them, according to a report of Odisha Election Watch (OEW).
Of the 747 candidates, 186 have declared criminal cases against them, constituting about 25 per cent of the aspirants, says the report released in Bhubaneshwar on Sunday by OEW, the state chapter of the National Election Watch.
Of the total 747 candidates, affidavits of 744 aspirants were analysed as papers of three nominees lacked clear information, the report stated. Out of the 186 candidates, who have declared criminal cases, 144 are facing serious criminal cases including murder, rape, kidnapping and crimes against women.
As many as 39 (51 per cent) of the 77 candidates fielded by Congress have declared criminal cases against them, while 25 (32 per cent) of the 77 candidates of BJD, 34 (44 per cent) of 77 nominees of BJP and 9 (14 per cent) of 63 candidates of AAP have declared criminal cases in their affidavits, the report said.
Similarly, 32 (42 per cent) of 77 candidates fielded by Congress have declared serious criminal cases against them while 17 (22 per cent) out of 77 candidates of BJD, 24 (31 per cent) of 77 candidates of BJP and 9 (14 per cent) of 63 candidates of AAP have declared serious criminal cases in their affidavits, it said.
Altogether 21 candidates have declared murder and attempt to murder-related cases in their affidavits, while 20 candidates have declared cases of crime against women, 14 candidates have declared cases related to assault or criminal force against woman with intent to outrage her modesty (IPC Section-354), it said.
Three candidates have declared cases related to husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty (IPC Section-498A).
One candidate has declared rape charge against himself (along with charges related to causing miscarriage without woman's consent (IPC Section-313) and kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman into marriage, the report said.
Like in the first phase, the second phase of the polls also has many crorepatis. Out of the 744 candidates analysed, 141 (19 per cent) candidates are are crorepatis. The worth of average assets per candidate contesting the second phase of assembly polls is Rs 1.04 crore, the report said.
The top three candidates with highest declared assets are Sanatan Mahakud, an Independent candidate from Champua Constituency who has declared assets worth Rs 69.63 crore, followed by Sunjoy Hans of Aama Odisha Party from Ekamra-Bhubhaneshwar segment with assets worth Rs 65.91 crore and Lala Manoj Kumar Ray of Congress from Nayagarh with assets worth Rs 21.54 crore, it added.
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