Bangalore (PTI): The final phase of assembly polls in Karnataka on May 22 will see 36 candidates with criminal records contesting the elections, with five of them being charged with serious offences of murder or attempt to murder, a study conducted by an NGO has found.

According to findings of Karnataka Election Watch, an initiative of the Association for Democratic Reform (ADR), among the major parties, the BJP has fielded the highest number of 12 candidates having criminal records followed by JDS seven and Congress six.

Other parties have fielded 11 such candidates, it said.

In the on-going assembly elections, the BJP, Congress and JDS in all have fielded 94 candidates with criminal records. The BJP leading with 40 followed by the JDS at 29 and Congress at 25, Trilochan Sastry, head of ADR, told a press meet here.

The BSP has fielded 18, while the SP and JDU have put up five such candidates each in the polls, he said.

A total of 93 cases of serious offences have been registered against candidates with criminal records.

In 2004 polls, the three major parties had fielded 112 such candidates-- BJP (49), INC (24) and JDS (39). The number has come down to 94 in 2008, he said.