Around 28% of candidates contesting in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh face criminal cases, while 41% candidates in this phase are crorepatis, according to Uttar Pradesh Election Watch (UPEW) and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Affidavits of all 130 candidates contesting in the fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha elections from 13 constituencies of Akbarpur, Bahraich, Dhaurahara, Etawah, Farrukhabad, Hardoi, Kannauj, Kanpur, Kheri, Mishrikh, Shahjahanpur, Sitapur and Unnao, were analyzed.

According to the report released here on Saturday, 36 out of 130 (28%) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves, and 23% of these candidates have serious criminal cases declared against themselves.

Party wise details of the candidates who have declared criminal cases, BJP has 4 out of 13 (31%), BSP has 5 out of 13 (38%), SP has 7 out of 11 (64%), Congress 2 out of 2 (100%), Sardar Patel Siddhanta Party 1 out of 4 (25%), Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party 2 out of 3 (67%) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.

In criminal cases, Alok Mishra, who is contesting from Congress from Kanpur, has 5 criminal cases, Devendra Singh , who is a candidate of BJP from Akbarpur, has 4 criminal cases in the second number. Shyam Kishore Awasthi is at number three, who is a candidate from Dhaurahra from BSP, has 4 criminal cases registered against him.

UP Election Watch ADR State Coordinator Santosh Srivastava said 53 out of 130 i.e. 41% candidates are crorepatis.

According to the report, 13 out of 13 (100%) candidates of BJP, 10 out of 13 candidates of BSP (77%), 10 out of 11 (91%) candidates of SP, 2 out of 2 (100%) candidates of Congress are crorepatis.

The average assets of the candidates of the fourth phase of UP Lok Sabha elections is Rs. 3.54 crores. The average assets of the 13 candidates of the BJP are around Rs. 9 crores. Average wealth of 13 candidates of BSP is Rs 3.67 crore and 11 candidates of Samajwadi Party is Rs 16.71 crores. The average asset of the two Congress candidates is around Rs 19 crore.

Among the candidates in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections is Annu Tandon, who is contesting on Samajwadi Party ticket from Unnao, whose assets are around Rs 79 crore. Similarly, Akhilesh Yadav is contesting on Samajwadi Party ticket from Kannauj have assets worth Rs 42 crore. Alok Mishra from Kanpur Lok Sabha seat on Congress ticket has assets worth around Rs 35 crore.

Kumari Panchshila Anand, a candidate of Uttar Pradesh Republican Party from Kheri constituency, has declared her assets as NIL or Zero, while 4 candidates have not declared their PAN.

In the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024, 37 out of 130 (28%) candidates have declared their educational qualification between 5th and 12th class pass. Whereas 85 (65 percent) candidates have declared their educational qualification as Graduation and above.

One candidate has declared his/her educational qualification as Diploma holder. Five candidates have declared their educational qualification as literate and 2 candidates have declared their educational qualification as illiterate.

If we talk about the age of the candidates in the fourth phase, 46 out of 130 (35 percent) candidates have declared their age between 25 to 40 years, while 64 (49 percent) have declared their age between 41 to 60 years. Besides, 20 (15 percent) candidates have declared their age between 61 to 80 years.

A total of 16(12 percent) women candidates are contesting in the fourth phase of elections.

Chief Convenor of UP Election Watch- ADR Sanjay Singh said that all the parties are stingy in giving tickets to women.

He said so far, parties have not shown interest in giving tickets to women in the four phases of polls in UP.