Lok Sabha election 2024: Analysis of candidates contesting in phase 6

Around a fifth of the contesting candidates have criminal cases against them

Polling officials check EVMs and other election material at a distribution centre in Gurugram on May 24, 2024 before leaving for their respective polling booths on the eve of the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls. | Photo Credit: PTI

For the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and The National Election Watch analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all 866 contenting candidates and found that 180 (or 21%) of them have declared criminal cases against themselves, 141 of which have serious criminal cases against them. 24 candidates have cases related to crime against women and 21 have cases related to attempt to murder, as shown in the table below.

Criminal records of candidates from major state and national parties

Among the major parties, 5(100%) out of 5 candidates from AAP, 4(100%) out of 4 candidates from RJD, 9(75%) out of 12 candidates from SP, 28(55%) out of 51 candidates from BJP, 4(44%) out of 9 candidates from AITC, 2(33%) out of 6 candidates from BJD and 8 (32%) out of 25 candidates from INC have declared criminal cases against themselves, as shown in the graphic below.

The map below shows the percentage of candidates with criminal cases in each of the constituencies going on poll during the sixth phase. In West Bengal, 43% of candidates in Bishnupur and 55% of the candidates in Kanthi have criminal cases against them. In the constituencies of Paschim Champaran and Maharajaganj of Bihar, around 50% and 46% of the candidates have criminal cases against them, whereas in Basti, Uttar Pradesh, 55% of the candidates have criminal cases.

The chart below also shows the State-wise share of contesting candidates that have criminal cases against them. States with the highest share of candidates with criminal cases are Jharkhand (31%), Odisha (28%), Bihar (28%), and West Bengal (25%).

The graphic below shows the candidates contesting in Phase 6 who have the most criminal cases against them.

80% of the contesting candidates of major parties are crorepatis

Of the total assets of candidates analysed among the national parties, 94% of BJP and 80% of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates are crorepatis. Among major State parties, over 78% candidates of AITC, RJD, BJD, and Samajwadi Party’s candidates are crorepatis, as shown in the chart below.

The following graphic shows the candidates with the most assets.

The box plot below showcases the distribution of assets of candidates of major parties. Among the national parties, the median assets held by BJP candidates is the highest at ₹7.7 crores, while that of Congress, AAP, and BSP candidates is ₹6.5 crores, ₹1.8 crores, and ₹0.54 crores.

Congress candidates with declared criminal cases have the highest median assets of over ₹13 crores, as shown in the box plot below.

The map below shows the share of contesting candidates who are crorepatis, constituency-wise. Over 50% of the contesting candidates in 16 of 57 constituencies going on polls are crorepatis.

Over a fifth of the constituencies do not have any female candidates

Out of the 57 constituencies going on polls on May 25, twelve of them have no female candidates as shown in the map below.

The graphs below show the share of male and female candidates contesting during phase 6 of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Among major national parties, the number of female candidates contesting are just in single digits.