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Madhya Pradesh is going to hold assembly elections on November 17, the results for which will be announced on December 3.
According to the data released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), out of the 2,534 candidates analysed in the Madhya Assembly elections 2023, 472 (19 per cent) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.
Candidates who have declared criminal cases against themselves amount to 291(11 per cent), ADR data states.
Let's look at the top five candidates contesting the polls with declared criminal records:
Topping the list is BJP candidate Surendra Patwa with 175 criminal cases declared against him.
He is followed by Kamleshwar Dodiyar, a Bharat Adivasi Party candidate with 15 criminal cases.
Furtehrmore, there is INC candidate P C Sharma (Prakash Mangilal Sharma) with 14 criminal cases against him.
Another INC candidate Sunil Sharma has declared 12 criminal cases against himself.
The last is BJP candidate Bisahu Lal Singh, who also has 12 criminal cases declared in his affidavit.
Now talking about the major political parties with candidates having criminal records:
-121(53 percent) INC candidates out of 230 candidates analysed by ADR have declared criminal cases, and 61(27 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
- 65 BJP candidates(or 28 per cent) out of the 230 candidates analysed have declared criminal cases, and 23 (10 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
- Out of the 66 candidates analysed by ADR, aandifates from AAP who have declared criminal cases agaist themselves amount to 26 (39 per cent), and 18 (27 per cent) have serious criminal cases declared in their affidavits.
- Coming to BSP the ADR has anlysed 181 of its candidates, 16 (9 per cent) candidates have declared criminal records, and 16 (9 per cent) have declared serious criminal records in their affidavits.
24 candidates contesting in the polls have declared cases related to crime against women. Out of which 1 candidate has declared case related to rape, under IPC Section-376.
Furthermore, 10 candidates have declared murder (IPC Section-302) related cases in their affidavits, and 17 candidates have declared cases related to Attempt to murder (IPC Section-307).