265 CROREPATIS in fray
As many as 265 crorepati candidates are contesting the Delhi Assembly elections this time. The number in 2008 was significantly low with only 180 millionaire candidates. It has been revealed in a study conducted by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Delhi Election Watch that it has analysed 796 out of 810 candidates contesting in December 4 Assembly elections. The average assets of 66 MlAs, who are re-contesting the polls, have gone up substantially from Rs 2.9 crore in 2008 to Rs 10.43 crore in 2013. On the other hand, four candidates have also declared zero assets in their nominations forms. The average assets of 66 sitting MlAs, who are re-contesting Delhi Assembly polls, have registered a whopping 259 per cent growth during the last five years. Moreover, out of the 796 candidates analysed, one-third of them, including sitting MlAs are crorepatis Out of the 796 candidates analysed, a total of 174 candidates have declared assets less than
Rs 5 lakh. Among three major political parties, the Congress leads the chart with 61 out of 70 candidates being crorepatis, followed by the BJP (58 candidates) and the AAP (33). “Sat Prakash Rana of the BJP from Bijwasan constituency has declared maximum increase in assets with an increase of Rs 105.51 crore — from Rs 6.38 crore in 2008 to Rs 111.89 crore in 2013,” stated the ADR report.
129 candidates face criminal cases
As much as 16 per cent of Delhi Assembly election candidates have been facing criminal cases. Out of the 796 nominees, 129 candidates have been booked in criminal cases. The number is slightly higher than the last Assembly elections of 2008. This analysis was done by an NGO — Association of Democratic Search (ADR) — with the help of National Election Watch, which released its report on Tuesday. Out of the 129 candidates, 93 or 72 per cent are involved in serious criminal cases which include crime against women, attempt to murder, robbery and dacoity. The survey, following the scrutiny of affidavits filed by the candidates, revealed that major parties like the BJP, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and BSP have fielded 31 candidates or 46 per cent, 15 or 21 per cent, five or seven per cent and 14 or 21 per cent respectively having criminal cases this time. In 2008 Assembly elections, the BJP had fielded only 35 such candidates and the Congress party had given tickets to 30 per cent of such candidates. As far as the BSP is concerned, it was 23 per cent in last Assembly elections.
23 lakh wrong entries on electoral rolls!
Despite the Election Commission deleting electoral rolls in Delhi, there are still 23 lakh wrong entries in the list. A Bangalore-based NGO has claimed that there is a possibility of huge error in the voter list in the Capital. According to its report, names of nearly 23 lakh voters or 19 per cent are needed to be deleted as they have either shifted their base or died. The NGO, Janaagraha, also revealed on Tuesday that it has found that 24 per cent of the voter lists of Burari and Najafgarh Assembly constituencies are erroneous, while minimum error in voter list is in Ambedkar Nagar constituency. In Burari and Najafgarh constituencies, 56,451 and 49,249 names of voters needed to be deleted. Similarly, percentage of errors in Uttam Nagar, Jangpura, Deoli and Shahdara are 20 per cent, 10 per cent, 19 per cent and 19 per cent respectively. Explaining the implications of errors in the Delhi voter lists, it was stated that the errors had been removed; the final tally of voters’ turn out would have much higher in 2008. “After the examination of 2008 elections, it has been found that there is a difference of 13 per cent in the total turn out due to the error in the electoral rolls,” said a member of the organisation on Tuesday on the occasion of releasing of the report. It was also added that the turnout of Burari and Najafgarh would have been increased from 56 per cent to 74 per cent and 59 per cent to 78 per cent respectively.
‘SAD using Punjab Police in Delhi campaign’
Congress leaders on Tuesday lodged complaints with the EC against BJP and AAP for false propaganda and also charged SAD with using Punjab Police personnel for electioneering in Delhi. A Congress delegation led by party general secretary and in charge of Delhi affairs Shakeel Ahmed met Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath and Election Commissioners HS Brahma and SNA Zaidi and demanded action against BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan for “falsely” claiming to have made Delhi polio-free during his stint as Health Minister of the State. They also submitted a memorandum to
ECI in this regard. With only a week left for Delhi Assembly polls, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday dropped its candidate from Rajouri Garden constituency after finding a criminal case against him. The AAP, which is celebrating its first anniversary on Tuesday, withdrew support to Pritpal Singh Saluja.