49 Bengal candidates have criminal cases

Fourty-nine candidates for the first phase of West Bengal Assembly polls have serious criminal records, while 23 are crorepatis.

According to the analysis by private election watchdog Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), 16.55% of the 296 candidates in the first phase of Assembly polls in West Bengal have serious criminal records. The first phase of polling in West Bengal and Assam will be held on April 4 and 11.

CPM candidate Shyam Sundar Pandey (Salboni) has declared two cases related to murder in the affidavit while his party colleague Hemant Prabhakar (Asansol Dakshin) has one murder case against him.

Two BJP candidates — Santosh Singh (Jamuria) and Amarnath Shaka (Onda) —have charges related to crime against women besides three others. The Trinamool Congress and the BJP have fielded the highest number candidates — 10 each — having serious criminal charges. The CPM has eight such candidates while Congress has four.

Twenty-three or 7.77% of the candidates are crorepatis with Trinamool Congress leading the pack with 14 candidates. The BJP has four and Congress three. Among the 296 candidates, only 23 are women while 57% (169) candidates are in the age group of 25 to 50 years. Only one candidate is above 80 years.

On Assam, the report said 25 candidates fighting for the first phase on April 4 have declared serious criminal cases against them.

Two candidates have declared cases related to murder — Kushal Dowari of the BJP from Thowra constituency and Janardan Hazarika (Independent) from Amguri.
Six candidates from the Congress have serious criminal charges while the BJP has 3 and AIDUF two. Thirteen independent candidates also have serious criminal charges.
DH News Service