For Phase V, BSP tops list of criminals and crorepatis

Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, February 24

In the fifth phase of UP election, the BSP has fielded maximum number of candidates with criminal cases and most crorepatis.

Twenty-three of BSP’s 51 candidates (45 per cent) are tainted, while 43 (84 per cent) are crorepatis. The BJP stands second on both these counts. Out of BJP’s 51 candidates, 21 (41 per cent) have criminal cases against them and 38 (75 per cent) are crorepatis.

Incidentally, these are the two parties which have made the law and order issue in UP their poll plank.

The finding is based on the joint report of the Uttar Pradesh Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) after analysing the self-sworn affidavits of 612 out of 617 candidates from 75 political parties — six national, four state, 65 unrecognised — and 220 Independent candidates, who are contesting in the fifth phase of the assembly election to be held on February 27.

Criminal cases of other parties in order of percentages are SP (41 per cent), RLD (23 per cent) and Congress (8 per cent). The percentage of crorepati candidates in SP is 76 per cent, Congress 50 per cent and RLD 6 per cent.

With assets to the tune of Rs49 crore, BJP’s Ajay Pratap Singh representing Colonelganj in Gonda is the richest candidate in this phase, followed by Congress candidate from Amethi Ameeta Singh who has declared assets to the tune of Rs36 crore.

There are 22 constituencies in the fifth phase for which red corner alerts have been declared, meaning they have three or more candidates with declared criminal cases.