SAD has most nominees with criminal record

Vishav Bharti
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 12

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) tops the chart when it comes to the parties that have fielded the maximum number of candidates with criminal background in the state. Seven of its 10 candidates have accepted that they were facing criminal cases. The fact came to the fore in a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) today.

As per the report, a total of 278 candidates are in poll fray in the state. Of them, 39 (14 per cent) are facing criminal cases. When it comes to serious criminal cases, there are 29 candidates (10 per cent). The offence for which maximum punishment is of five years or more, or offence which is non-bailable is considered serious.

In party-wise breakup, the SAD tops the chart, followed by AAP, which has fielded three candidates with criminal background. The Congress, Communist Party of India and the Lok Insaaf Party have fielded one candidate each with criminal background. The BJP is contesting three seats, but none of its candidates is facing any criminal case.

Among individual candidates, Simarjit Singh Bains of the PDA tops the chart with eight criminal cases against him, followed by Lok Seva Dal’s Sangrur candidate Mohinderpal Singh Dangarh six, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal four; and AAP’s Manjinder Singh from Khadoor Sahib two.

When it comes to educational status of the candidates in the state, 149 candidates (54 per cent) have declared their education qualification to be between 5th and 12th standard. While 95 (34 per cent) candidates have declared having qualification of graduate or above. A total of 18 illiterate candidates are in the fray.

24% crorepatis

When it comes to the financial status of the candidates, 67 (24 per cent) of them are crorepatis (having assets worth more than Rs 1 crore). All Congress, SAD and BJP candidates are crorepatis. Even AAP, Punjab Ekta Party and BSP are not behind. AAP has eight crorepatis; PEP, Lok Insaaf Party and BSP fielded three candidates each and their two candidates each are crorepatis. Of 123 Independents, 14 are crorepatis.

Bains tops chart

Simarjit Singh Bains of the PDA tops the chart with eight criminal cases against him, followed by Lok Seva Dal’s Sangrur candidate Mohinderpal Singh Dangarh six, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal four, and AAP's Manjinder Singh from Khadoor Sahib two.

The richest & the poorest 

• SAD’s Sukhbir Badal and Harsimrat Kaur Badal are the richest as both have declared  Rs 217 crore assets each. 
• They are followed by BSP candidate from Anandpur Sahib Vikram Singh Sodhi, who has declared assets worth Rs 140 crore.
• Pappu Kumar, an Independent candidate from Sangrur, is reportedly the poorest as he has declared zero assets. 
• Urmila, an Ambedkar National Congress candidate from Jalandhar, has declared assets worth Rs 295. She is followed by Chain Singh Bainka, an Independent from Amritsar,  Rs 3,000 and Nationalist Justice Party's candidate from Ludhiana Baldev Raj Katna Rs 5,000.