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Lok Sabha elections 2019: Seven crorepatis, 5 nominees with criminal cases in final phase of polls
The final phase will see seven crorepati candidates, which is the lowest among all phases in Jharkhand.
The final phase of Lok Sabha polls in Jharkhand will see a fall in the number of crorepati candidates as well as contestants with criminal charges compared to the elections in the past three phases in the state.
Jharkhand’s fourth, country’s seventh, phase will see elections in three parliamentary constituencies – Rajmahal, Dumka and Godda – on May 19. Of three, two seats – Dumka and Rajmahal – are reserved from scheduled tribe candidates.
The ADR report says a total of 42 candidates are in the fray and self-sworn affidavits of 41 candidates have been analysed. Of the 41, five candidates have declared criminal cases against them.
Godda has the highest number of candidates with criminal cases. Of the 13 candidates from the constituency, three are facing criminal charges. Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) candidate from Godda seat, Pradeep Yadav, tops the chart with 13 criminal cases against him.
He is followed by Rajmahal’s independent candidate Mahendra Hansda who has declared 11 cases against him.
BJP’s Godda candidate Nishikant Dubey has also declared four cases against him in his selfsworn affidavit.
In the first phase, 13 candidates had declared criminal cases against them, while 13 in second phase and 20 in third phase.
The final phase will see seven crorepati candidates, which is the lowest among all phases in Jharkhand. The first phase saw 19 crorepati candidates, while 14 crorepati candidates were in fray in the second phase. The third phase saw maximum 20 crorepati candidates.
Three crorepati candidates each contesting from Godda and Rajmahal while Dumka will see only one crorepati candidate, JMM supremo Shibu Soren. He has declared ₹7.25 crore as total assets. Soren is contesting for his ninth term in the Lok Sabha.
However, Nishikant Dubey, BJP candidate for Godda parliamentary seat, is the richest person in the phase.
Dubey has declared ₹46.27 crore as his total assets. BJP’s Rajmahal candidate Hemlal Murmu is the third richest candidate in the phase with total assets of ₹5.69 crore. JVM-P’s Godda candidate Pradip Yadav has declared total assets of ₹1.41 crore while JMM’s Rajmahal candidate Vijay Kumar Hansdak has total assets of ₹1.29 crore.
A total 60 crorepati candidates, 51 candidates with criminal cases have been in the 2019 poll fray from Jharkhand.
A total of 229 candidates from across 14 parliamentary constituencies are in fray. The ADR has analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 227 candidates.
Of the total contestants, 51 face criminal cases and 40 of them have declared serious criminal charges.
