Crime, money shadow Uttar Pradesh polls Saturday, 04 February 2012 00:18

Priyanka Gandhi (left) speaks with supporters of Congress party during an election campaign rally at Amethi in Uttar Pradesh yesterday. The Uttar Pradesh state goes to the polls from February 8.

New Delhi: Thirty-five percent of the candidates in the second phase of Uttar Pradesh elections are embroiled in criminal cases, two groups said yesdterday. The Association for Democratic Research (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) said the number of such contestants in the constituencies had risen since the 2007 election. A total of 138 candidates or 41 percent of the 337 in the second phase were “crorepatis” -- a 22 percent increase from 2007.

Among the 118 candidates who have criminal cases registered against them is Mukhtar Ansari (Quami Ekta Dal), who has the maximum of 15 cases.

All major parties have given ticket to candidates with tainted background, ADR and NEW said.

The share of the Samajwadi Party in this category is 30 out of 59 candidates, BSP (23/59), BJP (20/55), Congress (19/59), Peace Party (8/35) and Janata Dal-United (12/50). Over 50 percent of the offending candidates face charges of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, robbery etc. Leading the list with 12 such candidates is Samajwadi Party followed by BSP and Congress (10 each), BJP (9).

IANS

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