New Delhi: Of the 716 women candidates analysed in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 100 (15%) have declared criminal cases against themselves while 78 (11%) have declared serious criminal cases against their names, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
Among the major parties, 14 (26%) of the 54 women candidates are from the Congress, 18 (34%) of the 53 from the BJP, two (8%) of the 24 from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), six (26%) of the 23 fielded by the Trinamool Congress and 22 (10%) of the 222 Independent women candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
While 10 (19%) of the 54 women candidates from the Congress, 13 (25%) of the 53 from the BJP, two (8%) out of 24 from the BSP, four (17%) out of 23 fielded by the TMC and 21 (10%) out of 222 Independent have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
The National Election Watch and the ADR have analysed the affidavits of 716 out of 724 women candidates contesting in the elections.
Of the 716 women candidates, 94 participated in the first phase of the elections, 124 in the second phase, 142 in the third, 96 in the fourth, 80 in the fifth and 84 in the sixth phase. However, 96 women candidates, who have declared criminal cases against themselves, are participating in the final phase of the polls.
The election watchdog's report said that 78 (11%) women candidates have declared serious criminal cases, including cases related to rape, murder, attempt to murder, crimes against women, etc., in the Lok Sabha elections. The number of such women candidates was 51 (8%) in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Two women candidates have declared convicted cases against themselves, four with cases related to murder, 16 with cases of attempt to murder, 14 with crimes against women such as causing miscarriage without woman's consent, while seven with cases related to hate speech.
Of the 716 women candidates analysed, the ADR said 255 (36%) are crorepatis.
A total of 44 (82%) out of 54 fielded by the Congress, 44 (83%) out of 53 from the BJP, 15 (65%) out of 23 from the TMC, nine (38%) out of 24 from the BSP, and 43 (19%) out of 222 Independent women candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.
Among the major parties, the average assets per candidate for 54 Congress women candidates is Rs 18.84 crore, 53 BJP women candidates have average assets of Rs 22.09 crore, 24 BSP women candidates have average assets worth Rs 3.03 crore, 23 TMC women candidates have average assets worth Rs 2.67 crore, 10 CPI(M) women candidates have average assets worth Rs 1.33 crore, six SP women candidates have average assets worth Rs 39.85 crore, average assets of three AAP candidates are Rs 2.92 crore and 222 Independent women candidates have average assets of Rs 1.63 crore.
The BJP's Hema Malini (with Rs 250 crore) from Mathura constituency in Uttar Pradesh is among the three richest women candidates contesting in the elections followed by Telugu Desam Party's DA Sathya Prabha (with Rs 220 crore) from Andhra Pradesh's Rajampet constituency and Shiromani Akali Dal's Harsimrat Kaur Badal (with Rs 217 crore) from Punjab's Bathinda.
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