Criminal cases have been charged against 14 out of 58 candidates of Rajya Sabha in 2014 reveals study of self-sworn affidavits. 50 out the 58 candidates are millionaires. Women still a minority comprising 12%.
Team FI
The self-sworn affidavits of 58 out of 59 candidates contesting in the 2014 Rajya Sabha Elections across 16 states was analysed by the National Election Watch (NEW) and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
Key Findings:
Out of the 58, 14 candidates ( 24%) have criminal cases against them.
Two have declared serious criminal cases. These include charges of murder, kidnapping and crime against women.
Three (21%) out of 14 candidates fielded by Congress have declared criminal cases against them while four (36%) out of 11 candidates from BJP, Two (50%) out of 4 candidates from AIADMK and one candidate each from JD(U), CPM, BJD, RPI(A) and Shiv Sena have declared criminal cases in their affidavits.
Financial Status:
Out of the 58 candidates, 50 (86%) are millionaires with an average asset of whopping Rs 44.74 crores ( more than $475 million USD).
Hindu nationalist right wing party, BJP tops the list with an the average asset of Rs.85.36 crores per candidate, Congress comes second with 42.32 crores. Rs.23.02 crores for NCP candidates and Rs 21.99 lakhs for CPM candidates. Six independent candidates have average assets of Rs.110.68 crores.
Richest Candidates:
Ravindra Kishore Sinha of BJP from Bihar has declared assets worth Rs.857.11 crores followed by Kakde Sanjay Dattatraya, independent candidate from Maharashtra with declared assets worth Rs.425.65 crores and T.Subbarami Reddy of Congress from Andhra Pradesh with declared assets worth Rs.422.44 crores.
Nathwani Parimal, independent candidate from Jharkhand has declared the highest income of Rs 16.01 crores in the last Income Tax Returns (ITR) filed for the year 2013-2014 followed by Mithun Chakraborty of Trinamool Congress From West Bengal with total income of Rs 10.30 crores and T.Subbarami Reddy of Congress from Andhra Pradesh has declared income of Rs.5.55 crores.
The affidavit of Wansuk Syiem, Congress candidate from Meghalaya could not be analysed due to non availability.