Candidates from the YSRCP have the most number of criminal cases against them in the upcoming Andhra Assembly polls, according to findings of the Andhra Pradesh Election Watch (APEW) and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). 97 YSRCP candidates (57%) have criminal cases, and the TDP stood second with 48 candidates (28%).
The YSRCP also topped the list of candidates with serious criminal charges with 57 candidates (33%) followed by TDP at 27 candidates (16%). Offences which qualify as a serious criminal charge are offences for which the punishment is 5 years or more, is non-bailable, if it’s an electoral offence, relates to loss to exchequer, assault, murder, kidnap or rape; offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act or the Representation of People Act (Section 8) and offences which are crimes against women.
APEW and ADR analyzed affidavits of 2007 candidates out of a total of 2118.
The report states that 28 candidates have declared cases related to crimes against women such as assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty (IPC Section 354), Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman (IPC Section 509) etc., against themselves. 14 candidates have declared cases related to murder, 40 have declared cases related to attempt to murder and 24 have declared cases where they have been convicted.
Only 10% (193 candidates) are women.
Richest candidates
The report states that out of the 2007 candidates, 632 candidates (32%) were crorepatis. In comparison, during the 2014 Andhra Assembly elections, 470 (36%) out of 1309 candidates were crorepatis.
159 candidates (93%), 157 TDP candidates (91%) and 83 Jana Sena Party candidates (65%) declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore. However, the three richest candidates with most assets declared were all from the TDP, and included party president and chief minister Chandrababu Naidu.
Krishnaiah Bollineni, the candidate from Atmakur declared assets of more than Rs 689 crore. Ponguru Narayana, the TDP candidate from Nellore city has more than Rs 668 crore and Chandrababu Naidu, who is contesting from Kuppam has more than Rs 668 crore in family assets. 54 candidates declared zero assets.
YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy topped the list of candidates with highest income declared, as he declared more than Rs 25 crore in his last Income Tax returns. This was followed by YSRCP Rajampet candidate Meda Venkata Mallikarjuna Reddy, who filed more than Rs 16 crore and third is Chandrababu Naidu's son Nara Lokesh contesting from Mangalagiri, with declared more than Rs 1 crore in his returns.
As far as the education details of the candidates were concerned, the ADR survey said that 901(45%) candidates declared their educational qualification to be between 5th and 12th, while 957 (48%) candidates have declared having educational qualification of graduate or above.
648 candidates or 32% of the candidates are aged between 25 and 40 years, while 1128 (56%) candidates have declared their age to be between 41 to 60 years. There are 220 (11%) candidates who are aged between 61 and 80. 4 candidates have declared their age to be above 80 years while 7 candidates have not given their age