Chhattisgarh elections: 26 candidates in first phase with criminal cases

The ADR and Chhattisgarh Election Watch analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all 223 candidates and reported that 16 candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves

The Chhattisgarh Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), in its report, stated that out of the 223 candidates contesting in the first phase of Chhattisgarh polls, 26 candidates (12 per cent) had declared criminal cases against them.

The ADR and Chhattisgarh Election Watch analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all 223 candidates and reported that 16 candidates (7 per cent) have declared severe criminal cases against themselves.

The report stated that of the 223 candidates, 46 (21 per cent) are crorepatis.

The press release stated: "The role of money power in our elections is evident from the fact that all major political parties give tickets to wealthy candidates. Among the major parties, 17 (85 per cent) out of 20 candidates analysed from the Congress, 14 (70 per cent) out of 20 candidates analysed from the BJP, 3 (30 per cent) out of 10 candidates analysed from the AAP, and two (13 per cent) out of 15 candidates analysed from the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) have declared assets valued more than Rs 1 crore."

It further stated that the average of assets per candidate contesting in the first phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections Rs 1.34 crore. Among major political parties in the state, the average of assets per candidate for 20 candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is Rs 5.33 crore; the average of assets per candidate for 20 Congress candidates is Rs 5.27 crore, followed by 10 AAP candidates at Rs 4.45 crore and 15 Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) candidates at Rs 30.54 lakh.

High- and- low-asset candidates

Khadgraj Singh (Kawardha constituency) from the Aam Aadmi Party has the highest assets at over Rs 40 crore, followed by Bhawna Bohra (Pandariya constituency) from the BJP, who has assets worth over Rs 33 crore.

Two candidates have declared zero assets, namely Parwati Teta from the Azad Janata Party and Nagesh Puram from the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J).

The report further states that 106 (48 per cent) candidates have declared liabilities in their affidavits.