LS polls phase 3: 25% candidates are crorepatis, 21% with criminal charges

Of the 230 candidates facing serious criminal charges, 14 have declared they have been convicted in the past

Of the candidates contesting the third phase of Lok Sabha elections, 340 (21%) have declared they are facing criminal cases of which 230 (14%) face serious criminal charges, as per an analysis of candidates’ affidavits by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The figures come from the affidavits of 1,594 of the 1,612 candidates contesting in phase three as the affidavits of 18 candidates were illegible or incomplete.

As many as 392 (25%) of 1,594 candidates whose affidavits were studied have declared assets worth Rs 1 crore or more. Among the major parties, the Bharatiya Janata