15 per cent of all LS candidates in TN face criminal cases, says ADR report
As per the report, nine per cent of all the contesting candidates have declared serious criminal cases against them.
Graphical representation of Lok Sabha election polls in Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI: An analysis of the affidavits of 945 of 950 candidates in the fray for the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu has revealed that 15 per cent (138) of them are facing criminal cases with all candidates of the CPM, CPI and AMMK having cases pending against them.
Congress's 7 out of 9 candidates and BJP's 16 of 23 have declared criminal cases pending against them, revealed a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which has analysed the self-sworn affidavits of candidates. All the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and Vilavancode Assembly seat by-election would go to polls on April 19.
Nearly 59 per cent of the DMK candidates have declared criminal cases against while the PMK's six out of the 10 candidates have cases pending against them. As many as 34 per cent of the AIADMK which is contesting in the 34 seats has declared criminal cases.
As per the report, nine per cent of all the contesting candidates have declared serious criminal cases against them. Nine of the 23 BJP candidates have serious criminal cases pending against them followed by six candidates each of DMK, AIADMK and Naam Tamilar Katchi.
In terms of the candidates who declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore, 202 out of the 945 candidates declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.
Among the major political parties contesting the polls, NTK which is contesting all the LS seats has nominated only 38 per cent crorepati candidates or 15 out of the 39 nominees are Crorepatis.
AIADMK has nominated 33 crorepati candidates (97 per cent) while the DMK and BJP have nominated 95 per cent and 96 per cent crorepati candidates respectively.
The average assets of the BJP candidates stand at Rs 38.93 crore while the AIADMK candidates have assets of Rs 37.53 crore.
The ruling DMK's candidates have an average asset of Rs 31.22 crore. While the Left parties and VCK candidates have average assets worth Rs one crore, the NTK candidates have average assets worth Rs 2 crore.