UP Elections 2017: 110 with criminal cases, 250 crorepatis in phase 3

Total 250 crorepati candidates are in the fray for the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections to be held on Sunday, while 110 contestants have criminal cases against their names, says the latest report.

The Uttar Pradesh Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analysed the self-sworn affidavit of 813 out of 826 candidates from 105 political parties, including 6 national parties, 7 state parties, 92 unrecognised parties and 225 independent candidates, who are contesting the third phase of UP polls.

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"Out of 813 candidates, 250 (31 per cent) are crorepatis. 56 of 67 candidates from BSP, 61 of 68 from BJP, 51 of 59 from SP, 7 of 14 from INC, 13 of 40 from RLD and 24 of 225 independent candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore," the report by Delhi-based ADR said on Tuesday.

The average asset per candidate contesting in the third phase of UP elections is Rs 1.61 crore, it added. Among major parties, the average asset per candidate for 14 INC candidates is Rs 6.20 crore, 68 BJP candidates (Rs 3.79 crore), 67 BSP candidates (Rs 4.18 crore), 40 RLD candidates (Rs 73.56 lakh), 59 SP candidates (Rs 5.70 crore) and 225 independent candidates (Rs 72.25 lakh).

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The 3 richest candidates contesting in the third phase are Anup Kumar Gupta of SP (over Rs 42 crore), Ajay Kapoor of INC (over Rs 31 crore) and Seema Sachan also from SP (over Rs 29 crore), ADR said.

A total of 208 candidates have not declared their PAN details, it noted. Five candidates have declared total annual income of more than Rs 1 crore in the ITR and the top 3 with the highest income are Aparna Yadav of SP with the total income of Rs 1,97,61,490 followed by Arshad Jamal Siddiqui also from SP (Rs 1,73,63,978) and BSP's Shiv Prasad Yadav (Rs 1,69,14,495).

The report further said that out of 813 candidates analysed, 110 (14 per cent) have declared criminal cases against them. It added that 82 candidates have declared serious criminal cases, including cases related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women etc.

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Among party wise candidates with criminal cases, 21 from BJP, 21 from BSP, 5 from RLD, 13 from SP, 5 from Indian National Congress and 13 Independent candidates have declared criminal cases against them in their affidavits, the report said.

On educational qualification of candidates, it said that 320 have declared their education to be between 5th and 12th, while 418 have declared themselves as graduate or above. 43 candidates have said to be just literates and 10 illiterates. Around 551 candidates have declared their age to be between 25 and 50 years, while 254 are above 51 but below 80 years of age.  Also, 96 female candidates are contesting in the third phase of the UP elections this year.