632 crorepatis, 331 candidates with criminal backgrounds are contesting in Andhra Pradesh Assembly Election

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A total 331 candidates (17 per cent) with criminal backgrounds and 632 (32 per cent) crorepatis are contesting in the upcoming Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, says a recent report by the Andhra Pradesh Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The report analyses the self-sworn affidavits of 2007 out of 2118 candidates, who are contesting in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly Elections. “There are 111 candidates who have not been analysed due to the unavailability of their complete and properly scanned affidavits on the ECI website at the time of making the report,” said the report.

Out of the 331 candidates with criminal records, 220 have serious criminal cases. “Out of 2007 candidates analyzed, 331(17%) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. In 2014 Andhra Pradesh Assembly Elections, out of 1309 candidates analysed, 277(21%) had declared criminal cases against themselves,” read the report.

The among top parties, 48 (28%) out of 172 candidates analysed from TDP, 97 (57%) out of 171 candidates analysed from YSRCP, 19 (11%) out of 169 candidates analysed from BJP, 23 (14%) out of 166 candidates analysed from Congress and 26 (21%) out of 127 candidates from Janasena Party, have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

Twenty-eight candidates have declared cases related to crime 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.”

The number of crorepati candidates is up to 32% from 36% in 2014 Andhra Pradesh Assembly Elections. 

TDP candidate Krishnaiah Bollineni has declared the highest assets of Rs 689 Crore, followed by another TDP candidate Ponguru Narayana with assets worth Rs 668 Crore and state chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, also with Rs 668 crore. 

YSR Congress Party has the most number of crorepati candidates at 159, followed by TDP with 157 candidates, 83 from Janasena Party, 64 from BJP and 60 from Congress. 

There are 54 candidates who have declared zero assets.