Bihar polls: 32% candidates in second phase face criminal cases, 43% are crorepatis

Thirty-two percent of the contesting in the second phase of the Assembly elections in Bihar have declared criminal cases against themselves, a study by the Association for Democratic Reforms and the National Election Watch has shown.

Of those who had declared criminal cases, 26%, or 341, of them have serious criminal cases such as murder and crimes against women, the election watchdogs said on Tuesday.

The election watchdogs classify serious criminal cases as those having a maximum punishment of five years or more. It also includes offences that are non-bailable, an electoral offence, related to loss to the exchequer, assault, murder, kidnap, rape and crimes against women.

The Assembly polls will take place in two phases on November 6 and November 11. The votes will be counted on November 14.

The Association for Democratic Reforms and the National Election Watch analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 1,297 out of the 1,302 candidates who are contesting in the second phase of the elections.

Among the major parties, about 68% of the analysed candidates of the Congress declared criminal cases against themselves, 57% from the Bharatiya Janata Party, 54% from the Rashtriya Janata Dal and 32% from the Janata Dal (United).

Fifty percent of the analysed candidates from Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party declared criminal cases.

Five out of...

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