39% candidates under 40 years, says report

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 4

Around 39 per cent candidates in these elections are below 40 years of age. Of the 223 candidates, 27 (12.1%) are in the 25-30 age bracket and 59 (26.5%) in the age group of 31-40, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms, an NGO.

Three lakh voters are in the age group of 18-19, 38.96 lakh in the 20-29 bracket and 44.38 lakh in the 30-39 group. This implies that 48 per cent of the electorate is between 18 and 39 years of age.

Among the major players, Arjun Chautala (26) of the INLD is among the youngest candidates. A Class XII passout, he has assets worth Rs 6.3 crore.

Bhavya Bishnoi (26) of the Congress is also among the youngest candidates. An MSc from St Antony College, University of Oxford, he has assets worth Rs 3.79 crore.

Digvijay Singh Chautala, JJP nominee from Sonepat, is 28 years old. A Class XII passout, he has assets worth Rs 53.18 crore.

A total of 54 candidates (24.2%) are in the age group of 41-50 and 39 candidates (17.5%) in the 61-80 age bracket. Three candidates have not specified their age

Educational qualifications

Of the 223 candidates, four are PhDs (1.8%), 38 postgraduates (17%), 72 graduates (32.3%) and six diploma holders (2.7%).

Five candidates are illiterate (2.2%), one literate (0.4%), seven Class V passouts (3.1%) and 18 Class VIII passouts (8.1%). A total of 36 each (16.1%) have studied till Class X and up to senior secondary level.

Criminal background

A total of 24 candidates have criminal background, with the Congress having four, the INLD three and JJP two such candidates. Sandeep Singh, Independent candidate from Kurukshetra, is facing eight cases and Balwant Kataria, Independent candidate from Faridabad, facing seven cases.

Financial background

There are 87 candidates (39%) having assets worth Rs 1 crore or above. The average assets of Congress candidates are worth Rs 25.96 crore, followed by JJP at Rs 25.37 crore, INLD at Rs 17.30 crore and BJP at Rs 14.09 crore.

Virendar Rana of the INLD is the richest candidate with assets of over Rs 102 crore, followed Shruti Choudhry of the Congress at over Rs 101 crore.