As the election juggernaut chugs into the sixth phase, the number of candidates in Uttar Pradesh with criminal record in this round has decreased by six per cent compared to the fifth phase with 21 percent of them having criminal cases. However, the number of crorepati candidates has peaked to 33 per cent against 31 per cent in the fifth phase polls.
In the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies going to poll in the sixth phase, there are 177 candidates in the fray. The affidavits of 172 candidates were scrutinised by ADR and UP Election Watch.
UP Election Watch head Sanjay Singh said in Lucknow on Tuesday that out of these 172 candidates, 36 or 21 per cent have criminal cases registered against them. Among these, 29 candidates or 17 per cent have heinous crimes registered against them.
Independent candidate from Shravasti, Dhirendra Pratap Singh, has the highest number of eight criminal cases and he has been charged under 11 sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Kamla Devi of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), contesting from Sultanpur, shares the second spot with five cases registered against her while Akshay Pratap Singh, the Jansatta Dal Loktantrik candidate and cousin of Raghuraj Pratap Singh aka Raja Bhaiya, trying his luck from Pratapgarh, is at the third place with four cases.
Among crorepatis, 56 or 33 per cent of the candidates in the sixth phase polls have assets worth more than one crore rupees. Twelve of them are of Bharatiya Janata Party, 10 of Bahujan Samaj Party, nine of Congress and two of Samajwadi Party.
Union minister Maneka Gandhi, who is contesting as BJP candidate from Sultanpur, is the richest candidate in this phase of polls with assets worth Rs 55.69 crore.
Congress candidate from Jaunpur, Debavrat Mishra, closely tails Maneka Gandhi with assets worth Rs 51.09 crore. Congress candidate from Sultanpur, Sanjay Singh, is at the third place with assets worth Rs 41.11 crore.
In the sixth phase, 16 candidates have not declared their PAN details while one candidate is illiterate.