Among the five states that are set to go for polls, Chhattisgarh is the only one in which voting will be held in two phases. The first of the two phases is set to take place on November 7 in 20 assembly constituencies and the fate of 223 candidates will be locked inside the EVMs on the day.
Association for Democratic Reform (ADR) analysed all of the candidates contesting in the 20 seats that will go for polls in phase 1 and found out that 26 out of 223 candidates (12 per cent) had criminal cases registered against them. Out of the 26 candidates with declared criminal cases, 16 have serious charges against them.
Five of the 20 candidates from BJP and two out of the same number of candidates from Congress have criminal cases against them. Meanwhile, among AAP's 10 candidates, four have criminal cases registered against them.
Here is a detailed look at the criminal cases against the candidates in fray.
Among the candidates contesting the polls on November 7, BJP’s Vijay Sharma has the most number of criminal cases registered against him. Standing from Kawardha, Sharma has been booked in seven cases, and has 11 serious IPC charges registered against him.
The AAP candidate from Jagdalpur in Bastar, Narendra Bhavani, has six declared criminal cases against him. Bhavani has been booked under three serious IPC charges and 23 other IPC charges.
Bhai Ravi Chandravanshi of Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) has three cases registered against him. Contesting from Pandariya, Chandravanshi faces two charges that are serious in nature.
Vikrant Singh (BJP), BudhSingh Netam (Independent), Sandeep Meshram (Independent), Lucky Mangal Netam (JCCJ), Sandeep Tiwari Raj (Bhartiya Sarvjan Hitey Samaj Party), Hemlal Markam (Gondvana Gantantra Party) all have two cases registered against them, with some of the charges being serious in nature.
AAP candidates Komal Hupendi and Bomdha Mandavi also face two criminal cases but none of them are serious in nature.
Sandeep Meshram (Independent), Ramlal Podiyam (Sarv Adi Dal), Soyam Muka (BJP), Tikam Lodhi (Independent), Manish Kunjam (CPI), Chandra Shekhar Kodppa (Sarv Adi Dal), Vinayak Goyal (BJP), Gyanprakash Korram (Sarv Adi Dal) all have one criminal case registered against them with some of the charges being serious in nature.
Independent candidates Mantu Ram Pawar and Ramji Meravi, Khadgraj Singh of AAP, Neelu Chandravanshi and Shankar Dhruwa of Congress, Lakhshwar Kashyap (Hamar Raj Party), Asharam Netam of BJP and Shonshay Kashyap (JCCJ) all have a solitary case registered with no serious charges.