AAP has most candidates with criminal background, BJP least

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has the maximum candidates with criminal cases in the Assembly elections, while BJP has the least, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The report mentions BJP’s Capt Abhimanyu and Congress’ Rohtas Singh as the richest candidates. There are five contestants who have zero assets.

Among the candidates who have declared criminal cases, AAP has 23 such contestants of its total 88 (26 per cent). Fourteen of them have been booked for serious offences, including murder, rape, crime against children and women and corruption. In 2019 polls, AAP fielded 12 candidates of its total 46 (26 per cent) who had criminal cases against them.

In these elections, the Congress has 17 candidates with criminal cases (19 per cent), the Indian National Lok Dal nine (18 per cent), Jannayak Janta Party seven (11 per cent), Bahujan Samaj Party three (9 per cent), and the BJP has six (7 per cent).

The 1,028 candidates analysed out of the total 1,031 in these poll, 133 (13 per cent) candidates are facing criminal cases. The affidavits of three Independents couldn’t be studied as they were not properly scanned. There are 11 candidates who are facing cases related to crime against women and two rape charges. Six candidates have declared cases related to murder and eight attempt to murder charges.

In 2019, of 1,138 candidates analysed, 117 (10 per cent) declared criminal cases against them.

Contesting from Narnaund on a BJP ticket, Capt Abhimanyu has total assets of Rs 491.48 crore — Rs 443.52 crore movable and Rs 47.96 crore immovable. He has jewellery worth Rs 2.59 crore and two vehicles. He has investments in bonds, shares, units in companies and mutual funds worth Rs 402.49 crore.

Congress’ Rohtas Singh, contesting from Sohna, has assets of Rs 484.87 crore — Rs 135 crore movable and Rs 349.31 crore immovable. He has no car with him and has jewellery worth Rs 8.6 lakh. He has 54.15 acre agricultural land of Rs 35.94 crore and non-agricultural land in Sector 89 and 90 of Gurugram worth Rs 261.26 crore.

Savitri Jindal, contesting as Independent from Hisar, has declared assets of Rs 270.66 crore and is third richest candidate. Haryana Lokhit Party’s Gopal Kanda has the highest liabilities of Rs 83 crore.

Among poorest candidates, there are five. Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Majdoor Party’s Manish from Faridabad NIT, Independent Aabid Khan from Badkhal, Independent Adarsh Balyan from Faridabad, Jan Sewak Kranti Party’s Rajiv Khatak from Barwala and Independent Sarita from Nilokheri (SC) have declared zero assets.

Manish is unemployed and Class 10th pass. “I am campaigning on foot and going door to door. For far off places, I am using my uncle’s car,” he said. Aabid Khan is graduate but has no fixed sources of income. “I am campaigning after taking donations from friends,” he said.

A total of 486 (47 per cent) candidates have declared their educational qualifications to be between 5th and 12th standard while 492 (48 per cent) candidates have declared graduate or above. Twenty-six candidates are diploma holders. Eight have declared themselves to be just literate and 15 are Illiterates. One has not given his educational qualification.