MCD polls 2017: 30% of candidates are 'crorepatis'

As many as 697 or 30 per cent of the 2,315 candidates in the Delhi municipal election are crorepatis and seven per cent of them have criminal cases against them, says a report.

While 163 or 64 per cent of the 256 candidates fielded by the Congress are crorepatis, the BJP has 141 (54 per cent) crorepatis of the 260 nominees and the AAP has 104 (42 per cent) crorepatis out of 250 candidates.

Besides, nine candidates (24 per cent) of the 38 from the NCP are crorepatis, while 41 nominees (22 per cent) of the 191 from the BSP and 1 (8 per cent) out of 12 candidates of the CPI have declared assets worth more than Rs one crore.

The National Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analysed the affidavits of 2,315 out of the total 2,537 candidates from 18 political parties who are contesting the MCD polls.

"Out of the 2,315 candidates analysed, 697 (30 per cent) are crorepatis," the report said.

According to the report, the average assets per candidate contesting in MCD polls is Rs 1.61 crore.

Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for the BJP is Rs 2.89 crore, Congress Rs 4.36 crore, AAP Rs 1.65 crore, BSP Rs 89.59 lakh and the NCP Rs 92.38 lakh.

Besides, 16 candidates of the CPI(M) have average assets worth Rs 19.20 lakh while 12 CPI candidates have assets worth Rs 23.04 lakh. Also, 1,051 independent candidates contesting the poll have declared average assets of Rs 97.79 lakh.

Of the 2,315 candidates analysed, 173 (seven per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves, while 116 (five per cent) have serious criminal registered against themselves.

26 (10 per cent) candidates from the BJP, 35 (14 per cent) from the Congress, 21 (eight per cent) from the AAP, 13 (seven per cent) from the BSP, 3 (eight per cent) from the NCP, 1 (six per cent) from the CPI(M) and 1 (eight per cent) from the CPI have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

13 (five per cent) from the BJP, 22 (nine per cent) from the Congress, 15(six per cent) from the AAP, 10 (five per cent) from the BSP, 2 (five per cent) from the NCP, 1 (six per cent) from the CPI(M) and 1 (eight per cent) from the CPI have serious criminal cases against them.

Election to the three municipal corporations of Delhi will be held on April 23.

The erstwhile unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated into North, South and East Delhi Municipal Corporations in 2012.

Out of the total 272 wards, NDMC and SDMC have 104 seats each while EDMC has 64.

The MCD has been ruled by the BJP for the last 10 years.