Out of 37 candidates in fray for the May 13 Lok Sabha polls, seven (19%) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves, while six (16%) candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves, said the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) in a report released on Saturday.

The Odisha Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analyzed the self-sworn affidavits of all 37 candidates, who are contesting in four constituencies in Odisha Phase-I in the fourth phase of the Lok sabha polls.

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ADR analyzed the criminal, financial and other background details of 37 candidates contesting the polls from four seats on 13 May.

Voters in Berhampur, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Koraput parliamentary seats and 28 Assembly seats under these constituencies will take part in the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls on 13 May.

While 75% of BJP candidates are facing trial in criminal cases, 50% of BJD and 25% of Congress candidates contesting polls for 13 May Lok Sabha polls in four parliamentary constituencies have criminal cases pending against them as per the submission made by them in the election affidavit.

Of the 37 candidates in the fray, 17 candidates are crorepatis at 46% ratio among the total contestants.

All the four candidates of BJD and BJP have assets worth over Rs one crore, while three out of four Congress candidates are crorepatis.

The average movable and immovable assets, furnished in the affidavit by 37 candidates, stand at Rs 3.70 crore. The average assets of BJP, Congress and BJD candidates are valued at Rs 13.76 crore, Rs 3.63 crore and Rs 3.11 crore, respectively.

BJP candidate Malvika Devi contesting from Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat is the richest among the 37 in the fray in the first phase LS polls in Odisha with total assets of over Rs 41 crore. She is followed by Congress’s Berhampur LS seat contestant V Chandra Shekhar at more than Rs 28 crore.

SUCI’s Pramila Pujari contesting from Koraput reserved LS seat is the candidate with the lowest asset at Rs 20,626.

Fourteen (38%) candidates have declared their educational qualification to be between 5th and 12th standard, while 22 (59%) candidates have declared having an educational qualification of graduate or above, and one candidate has declared himself to be just literate.

Ten (27%) candidates have declared their age to be between 25 to 40 years, while 23 (62%) candidates have declared their age to be between 41 to 60 years. There are four (11%) candidates who have declared their age to be between 61 to 70 years.

Of the 37 candidates in the fray, seven (19%) women candidates are contesting in the Odisha Phase I for Lok Sabha election 2024.