Lok Sabha Elections 2024 | Around 14% candidates have serious criminal cases; 31% are crorepatis: Report

New Delhi: Around 14 per cent of candidates in this Lok Sabha elections have serious criminal cases charged against them while 31 per cent are crorepatis, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms.

The analysis of 8,337 of the 8,360 candidates showed that 1,643 candidates had criminal cases -- of which, 1,191 had serious criminal charges which invoked a punishment of over two years. When it comes to crorepatis, there were 2,572 or 31 per cent.

In 2019, 1,070 of 7,928 candidates analysed had serious charges while it was 908 out of 8,205 in 2014 and 608 out of 7,810 in 2009.

Fourty candidates in this election have murder charges against them while 173 have attempt to murder charges, 197 have been charged with crime against women, and 16 have rape charges. Ninety-eight of them had convictions against them.

BJP had the highest number of 130 candidates with serious charges followed by Congress, which has 88, while 411 of independents were also in this grouping.

The proportion of candidates with criminal cases is increasing in almost all parties. In 2009, 27 per cent of Congress candidates had cases against them while it rose to 44 per cent in 2024 while for BJP it was a rise from 27 per cent to 43 per cent. CPI(M) saw it climbing from 25 per cent to 63 per cent while BSP saw a decline from 22 per cent to 13 per cent, according to ADR.

There were 2,572 crorepati candidates this time as against 2,297 in 2019, it was 2,217 in 2014 and 1,249 in 2009. BJP has 403 crorepati candidates this time whole Congress has 292 and BSP 163. The average assets of candidates was Rs 6.23 crore as against Rs 4.14 crore in 2019.

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