Assembly bypolls 2021: 44 candidates have declared criminal cases, says ADR reports

New Delhi: Out of the 235 candidates contesting assembly bye-elections this year, at least 44 have declared criminal cases against themselves, according to poll rights group Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

National Election Watch and ADR have analysed self-sworn affidavits of 261 out of 265 candidates from three Lok Sabha constituencies and 30 assembly constituencies of 14 states where bypolls are to be held on October 30.

For assembly bye-elections, affidavits of 235 candidates were analysed, and it was found that there are 44 candidates (19 per cent) who have declared criminal cases against themselves.

"Out of these, 36 (15 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves," the ADR said in a report.

It said that 77 or 33 per cent candidates are crorepatis and the average assets per candidate contesting in assembly bypolls is Rs. 2.99 crore.

"There are 93 candidates who have declared liabilities. Out of 235 candidates, 18 are women," the poll rights body said.

For the Lok Sabha bye-elections to be held in Madhya Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Himachal Pradesh, ADR analysed affidavits of 26 candidates and said there are four candidates (15 per cent) who have declared criminal cases against themselves.

Out of these, one candidate has declared serious criminal cases, the report said.

It also said that seven or 27 per cent candidates are crorepatis and the average assets per candidate contesting in the Lok Sabha bye-election is Rs 4.97 crore.

"There are 11 candidates who have declared liabilities and out of 26 candidates, four are women," the ADR said.

The states where the assembly bypolls are being held are -- Assam, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Bihar, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Nagaland and Telangana.