Bihar Election 2020: One in four candidates facing serious criminal charges, finds ADR report

Bihar Election 2020: Twenty-three per cent or around one-fourth of the candidates contesting in phase 1 of the assembly elections in Bihar are facing serious criminal cases against themselves. As per an analysis done by Association for Democratic Reforms, 328 (or 31 per cent) of 1064 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. Out of these, 244 candidates are facing serious criminal cases.

The first phase of the polling will be held on October 28.

Serious criminal cases involved offences for which maximum punishment is of 5 years or more and non-baliable, such as offence related to loss to exchequer, offences that are assault, murder, kidnap, rape related, offences under Prevention of Corruption Act and crimes against women.

Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD has the maximum number of candidates with criminal charges followed by the BJP. The ADR analysed 41 candidates of the RJD and found that 30 or 73 per cent of them are facing criminal charges. The BJP has 21 (or 72 per cent) of 29 candidates with criminal charges. The ADR analysed 41 candidates of LJP and found 24 or 59 per cent with criminal charges. The Congress has 12 of 21 candidates while JDU has 15 or 43 per cent of 35 candidates with criminal charges.

The numbers are almost the same for serious criminal charges as well but in this LJP is ahead of the BJP. The RJD has 54 per cent of its candidates with serious criminal charges followed by LJP which has 49 per cent. The BJP is at the third position with 45 per cent and Congress at fourth with 43 per cent.

“22 out of 41 candidates analysed from RJD, 20 out of 41 candidates analysed from LJP, 13 out of 29 candidates analysed from BJP, 9 out of 21 candidates analysed from INC, 10 out of 35 candidates analysed from JD(U) and 5 out of 26 candidates analysed from BSP have declared serious criminal cases,” the statement said.

Out of these, 29 candidates have declared cases related to crime against women. And of 29 candidates, three have declared cases related to rape (IPC Section-375 and 376). “21 candidates have declared cases related to murder…62 candidates have declared cases related to Attempt to murder,” according to the report.

The Bihar election is being conducted in three phases and the first phases of polling for 71 seats will happen on October 28. Out of 71 constituencies going to poll in the first phase, 61 or 86 per cent are red alert constituencies. As per ADR, red alert constituencies are those where three or more candidates are facing criminal cases.