Bihar polls: Richest candidate has most number of criminal cases

Bihar’s richest candidate who will compete in phase one of the upcoming state Assembly elections has the highest number of criminal cases.

RJD leader Anant Kumar Singh, who has declared asset worth Rs 68.56 crore, faces 38 criminal cases including those of murder, extortion, kidnapping and possession of illegal weapons, according to an analysis of affidavits by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The assets of the RJD leader, who is currently in jail and the sitting MLA from Mokama, recorded a jump of 144 per cent in the past five years. Singh had won his last assembly from Mokama from jail as an Independent candidate.

Singh, who has been winning the Mokama seat since 2005, faces 11 charges related to attempt to murder, nine charges related to criminal intimidation and seven for murder.

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Closely trailing him in the number of criminal cases is Jan Adhikar Party’s Sudhir Kumar Verma with 37 criminal cases. Verma, who is contesting from Gurua constituency, faces charges related to extortion, dacoity, and kidnapping.

Jantantrik Vikas Party’s Anil Kumar faces 23 criminal cases. Most of the charges against him are related to cheating and property fraud. However, he also faces two charges related to attempt to murder. Kumar is contesting the upcoming elections from Tarari constituency.

Seventy-one constituencies will go to polls in phase one of the Bihar Assembly election. Among them, 61 or 86% of the constituencies are red alert constituencies, which means that three or more contesting candidates in these seats have declared criminal cases against themselves.

Overall, 30 per cent of 1,064 candidates in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly election have declared criminal cases against themselves. 23 per cent or 244 candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves. Serious criminal cases are non-bailable offences with over five years of imprisonment.

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If we look at the party-wise data for candidates with criminal cases, the RJD has fielded the highest number of candidates with criminal cases. About 73 per cent (30) of 41 candidates analysed from the Tejashwi Yadav-led party have declared criminal cases against themselves and 22 (54 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

The RJD is followed by the BJP in which 21 (72 per cent) out of 29 candidates analysed have declared criminal cases against themselves and 13 (45 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

About 24 (59 per cent) out of 41 candidates from the LJP have declared criminal cases. In the case of Congress, 12 (57 per cent) out of 21 candidates face criminal charges.

While in the JD(U), 15 (43 per cent) out of 35 candidates face criminal charges, eight (31 per cent) out of 26 candidates analysed from the BSP have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.