Gujarat: Congress Fields Most Candidates With Serious Criminal Charges, 10 Per Cent Rise Compared To 2012

An analysis of the affidavits of candidates in fray for both phases of the Gujarat Assembly polls has revealed that 38 Congress candidates face serious criminal charges. This, the analysis shows, is a 10 per cent rise in candidates with serious criminal charges when compared to the party’s candidates for the 2012 assembly polls. The Congress’s percentage went from 12 per cent to 22 per cent, said the analysis conducted by two NGOs – Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Gujarat Election Watch (GEW).

In 2012, 21 Congress candidates out of 171, that is 12 per cent, were facing such serious charges. This time, as many as 38 candidates out of 174 candidates, that is 22 per cent, are facing such charges, the analysis showed.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) percentage, at 13 per cent, has remained the same, the NGOs said. In the polls of 2012, out of total 180 candidates analyzed, 24 BJP candidates were facing serious charges, said the comparative analysis released on Thursday.

This time, out of the total 175 BJP candidates analyzed, 23 candidates are facing charges related to murder, attempt to murder, robbery, abduction and rape.

The two NGOs, the ADR and GEW, released the analysis of the affidavits of 822 candidates, out of the total 851 in fray for the second phase of Gujarat Assembly polls, to be held on December 14 for 93 assembly seats.

The analysis showed that 101 candidates, accounting for around 12 per cent, were facing criminal cases, including serious charges.

The analysis also showed that a total of 64 of the 101 nominees of the second phase are facing serious criminal cases.

It includes seven candidates who were facing attempt to murder charges, three facing kidnapping charges while two have been accused of rape.

A party-wise analysis found that 13 out of 86 BJP candidates were facing serious criminal charges, while the Congress gave tickets to as many as 18 such candidates for the second phase of the polls, the report of the NGOs said today.

The two main parties were followed by two candidates from the BSP, three from the NCP and seven from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and 14 independents, it said.

Earlier this week, these NGOs had released the analysis for the first phase of polls, to be held on 89 seats on December 9.

As per that analysis, 137 candidates in fray for the first phase were facing criminal cases, including 78 who are facing serious charges such as murder, kidnapping and rape.

Though there are 182 seats in Gujarat, the NGO said it could not analyze some affidavits of both the parties, be it of 2012 and 2017, due to bad scanning or other technical reasons.