Lucknow: With election hullaballoo behind and parties waiting to assume power, the data around the riches and vices of politicians in Uttar Pradesh shows 51 per cent (205) of 403 winning candidates have declared criminal cases cases against them while 91 per cent (366) are crorepatis.
A report by Association for Democratic Rights and Uttar Pradesh Election Watch reveals that 39 per cent (158) of the winning candidates have declared serious criminal cases against them in their affidavits to the Election Commission. The cases against them include murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women.
"Out of the 403 winning candidates analysed in 2022, 205 (51 per cent) winning candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. Out of 402 MLAs analysed during Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017, 143 (36 per cent) MLAs had declared criminal cases against themselves," stated the report. "158 (39 per cent) winning candidates have declared serious criminal cases including cases related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women etc. Out of 402 MLAs analysed during Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017, 107 (26 per cent) MLAs had declared serious criminal cases against themselves," it added.
The reported stated that 44 per cent (111) out of the 255 winning candidates of BJP have declared criminal cases against them while 64 per cent (71) of the winning candidates of Samajwadi Party (SP) have criminal cases against them. It added that 35 per cent (90) of the BJP's winning candidates have declared serious criminal cases against them and 43 per cent (48) out of SP's winning candidates have serious cases registered against them.
As for crorepati winning candidates, the report stated that 91 per cent (233) of BJP's wining candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore. It also stated that 90 per cent (100) wiining candidates of SP are crorepatis.
"The average assets per winning candidates for 255 BJP winning candidates is Rs 8.14 Crores, 111 SP winning candidates is Rs 7.39 Crores, 12 Apna Dal (Soneylal) winning candidates is Rs 7.13 Crores, 8 RLD winning candidates is Rs 7.56 Crores, 6 Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party winning candidates is Rs 7.94 Crores, 6 Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal winning candidates is Rs 6.64 Crores, 2 INC winning candidates is Rs 19.71 Crores and 2 Jansatta Dal Loktantrik winning candidates have average assets worth Rs 13.75 Crores," the report stated.
While Amit Agarwal, the BJP candidate from Meerut Cantonment emerged as the richest winning candidate with declared assets worth more than Rs 148 crore, he was followed SP candidate Mohammad Nasir from Moradabad who declared assets of over Rs 60 crore and SP's Rakesh Pandey, fielded from Ambedkar Nagar who declared assets of over Rs.59 crore.
Also read:26% candidates in UP polls have declared criminal cases against themselves: ADR
