The ongoing Lok Sabha elections enters the fifth stage on Monday, May 20, with 49 constituencies across 8 states heading to polls. The first four phases of general elections in India saw an average voter turnout of 66.95 per cent, and it remains to be seen whether voters turn up en masse for the fifth phase.
A plethora of political parties are contesting in the fifth phase, including major national parties like the BJP and the Congress, as well as regional powerhouses such as the Trinamool Congress, the Shiv Sena factions, and the NCP factions.
This phase includes various states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Rajasthan. Tight contests can be expected in several seats, with political parties ramping up their campaigns ahead of the fifth phase.
Notably, a significant number of candidates with criminal backgrounds are in the poll fray for the fifth phase.
According to ADR, nearly a quarter of the candidates analysed face criminal cases. Of the 695 candidates analysed by ADR for the fifth phase, 159 have declared criminal cases.
Among these candidates, 58 independent candidates have declared criminal cases, with 45 among them having serious cases against their names.
Among candidates affiliated with political parties, the BSP leads the criminality list in the fifth phase, with 19 candidates having cases against them, and 12 among them having serious criminal charges.
The BJP and the Congress come joint second, with 8 candidates with declared criminal cases each. While seven Congress candidates have serious charges against them, the BJP has six such candidates.
Several other parties have also fielded candidates with criminal cases against them, with some notable ones being the VBA (5), and the Samajwadi Party (4). The Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Trinamool Congress have three each
When it comes to states, Maharashtra tops the list with 62 candidates, 45 of whom face serious charges. Uttar Pradesh follows with 29 candidates, 26 of whom face serious charges. West Bengal will see 21 candidates with criminal cases contest, 19 of whom face serious charges. In Bihar, 15 contesting candidates have criminal records, with 13 of them facing serious cases. In Jharkhand, 18 applicants have criminal cases, of whom 9 face serious charges.
Odisha has 12 candidates in the poll fray with criminal charges, with 8 of them facing serious cases. Jammu and Kashmir has two candidates with criminal cases, all serious, but Ladakh is said to have no such candidate.
After the conclusion of the fifth phase on Monday, two more phases remain, with voting scheduled for May 25 and June 1.
Counting of votes for all phases is slated to take place on June 4.
(Raunak Mukherjee is a BA Media and Journalism student at Christ University who interned with Deccan Herald in summer 2024.)