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HP Polls | 23% candidates facing criminal cases, 158 are crorepatis, says Report
Among the major parties, 5 (46%) out of 11 candidates from CPI(M), 17 (25%) out of 68 candidates from INC, 6 (9%) out of 68 candidates from BJP, 6 (9%) out of 67 candidates from AAP and 1 (2%) out of 53 candidates from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have declared serious criminal cases
A total of 94 candidates in the fray for the November 12 assembly elections are facing criminal cases, said a report by Himachal Pradesh Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The ADR, which analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all 412 candidates, released its report here today. As many as 201 candidates in the fray are from the national parties, 67 are from the state parties, 45 are from unrecognized parties and 99 are fighting the elections as Independents.
Kangra district which comprises 15 assembly segments, has a total of 99 candidates, followed by Mandi 67 while Kinnaur has at least, five candidates, in the fray.
Criminal Cases
Out of 412 candidates, 94 (23%) candidates have declared criminal cases against them. In the 2017 Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections, out of 338 candidates, 61 (18%) had declared criminal cases against them. There are 50 candidates with serious criminal cases. In the 2017 Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections, 31 (9%) candidates had declared serious criminal cases against them.
Among the major parties, 5 (46%) out of 11 candidates from CPI(M), 17 (25%) out of 68 candidates from INC, 6 (9%) out of 68 candidates from BJP, 6 (9%) out of 67 candidates from AAP and 1 (2%) out of 53 candidates from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
Five candidates have declared cases related to crime against women, while two candidates have declared cases related to murder (IPC Section-302).
Three candidates were facing attempt to murder charges. There are nine red alert assembly segments of the 68 candidates where more than three candidates are contesting elections.
“The directions of the Supreme Court have had no effect on the political parties in the selection of candidates in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections-2022 as they have again followed their old practice of giving tickets to around 23% of candidates with criminal cases. All major parties contesting in Himachal Pradesh elections have given tickets to candidates who have criminal cases against themselves,” said the report.
CPI (M) which has the largest percentage (46%) of candidates with serious criminal cases lodged against them, said that its workers were targeted.
“From these reports, it’s very clear how the voice of opposition parties is being suppressed not only in Himachal but across the country. It happened during the pre-independence British Era that cases were filed against opponents to muzzle their voice,” said former mayor and senior CPI (M) leader Sanjay Chauhan.
While the BJP which has 6 or 9% of candidates facing serious criminal cases, pointed out that the majority of the cases against its candidates are not serious in nature.
“It happens that cases are also filed against the leaders due to personal and political vendetta. At times, the leaders are booked for participating in agitation there are few from our party,” BJP spokesman Karan Nanda conceded.
“The trend of fielding candidates with criminal antecedents is worrying for all the parties. In the near future, parties need to ponder over this trend. The numbers have to be reduced but all cases against the candidates are not genuine” Naresh Chauhan, chairman Congress media cell, said.
“Crime and capital are the prime drivers of politics without which electoral politics doesn’t move much around the world. The inclusion of such a high number of candidates in HP elections is startlingly dismal and omens bad for state politics, said Harish Thakur, head of the political department at Himachal Pradesh University (HPU).
158 multimillionaires in the fray
The role of money power in our elections is evident from the fact that all major political parties have given tickets to the wealthy.
Out of the 412 candidates, 226 (55%) are crorepatis. In the 2017 Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections, out of 338 candidates, 158 (47%) were crorepatis. Among the major parties 61 (90%) out of 68 candidates from INC, 56 (82%) out of 68 candidates from BJP, 35 (52%) out of 67 candidates from AAP, 4 (36%) out of 11 candidates from CPI(M) and 13 (25%) out of 53 candidates from BSP have declared assets valued more than ₹1 crore.
The report further said that the average of assets per candidate contesting in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022 is ₹4.65 crore. In the 2017 state assembly elections, the average assets per candidate for 338 candidates were ₹4.07 crore.
Party-wise average assets
Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 68 INC candidates is ₹11.82 crore, 68 BJP candidates is ₹7.30 crore, 11 CPI(M) candidates is ₹4.08 crore, 67 AAP candidates have average assets of ₹3.71 crore and 53 BSP candidates have average assets worth ₹86.07 lakh.
