17 ministers face grave criminal charges in poll-bound states

While a total of 33 ministers face criminal charges in five states that go to poll, 41 ministers from these states are 'crorepatis'. Vicky Nanjappa reports.

As many as 33 ministers who will contest elections in five states that go to poll shortly face criminal charges. Of these ministers, 17 face serious criminal charges, according to National Election Watch (NEW).   

NEW has analysed the affidavits submitted to the Election Commission of India in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. 

Thirty three ministers have self-declared pending criminal charges as per their affidavits filed during previous assembly elections. 17 ministers out of these have declared serious Indian Penal Code charges like murder and attempt to murder pending against them.

Uttar Pradesh has the maximum percentage of ministers (46 percent) with pending criminal cases (21 out of 46). Out of these 21, 14 (30 percent) ministers have serious criminal cases pending against them.

Bahujan Samaj Party leader Ratan Lal in Uttar Pradesh has the highest number (7) of pending criminal cases followed by Ramveer Upadhyay, also from BSP, with 5 cases pending against him. The charges are related to murder, attempt to murder etc.

Also, a total of 41 ministers (41 percent of the total analysed) are crorepatis. Punjab has the highest crorepatis (83 percent) in its Cabinet, followed by Goa and Uttar Pradesh with 67 percent and 37 percent respectively.

The average asset of a minister in the 5 states turns out to be 3.02 crores, even though Manipur has no crorepatis in its Cabinet.

In Punjab it is Captain Balbir Singh of the Shiromani Akali Dal who has the highest number of charges at 4 of which 3 are serious offences.

In Uttarkhand, it is Banshi Dhar Bhagat of the Bharatiya Janata Party who has 3 pending charges against him. However, there are no serious offences against him.

In Goa it is Monserrate Atanasio of the United Goans Democratic Party who happens to be the only minister with a criminal charge. He has one charge which is not a serious offence.

In the list of Crorepatis, UP chief minister Mayawati leads the way with assets worth Rs 87 crore. The poorest minister is also from Uttar Pradesh. Hari Om has assets worth Rs 1 lakh only.

In the list of women ministers it is the states of Manipur and Goa that does not have a single woman minister. Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have two each, while Uttarkhand has one.