33 candidates face cases of murder, 86 candidates face cases related to attempted murder, 42 candidates have cases related to crimes against women with two of them facing rape cases.
Some 423 (32%) candidates in the fray in the first phase of the Bihar assembly election have declared criminal cases in their election affidavits, the Association for Democratic Reforms has said in its report.
Crime and politics retain a close connection in Bihar, judging by the candidates in next month's two-phase Bihar assembly polls.
With the election campaign picking up pace after the four-day Chhath festival, a recent report by the ADR and Bihar Election Watch revealed that of the 1,303 candidates contesting from 121 assembly constituencies in the first phase, 423 (32%) have declared criminal cases against themselves.
According to the ADR, which analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 1,303 out of 1,314 candidates, 354 (27%) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
There are 33 candidates who have declared cases of murder (IPC Section-302, 303 and BNS Section-103(1)).
Similarly, 86 candidates face cases related to attempted murder (IPC Section-307 and BNS Section-109).
Furthermore, 42 candidates have declared cases related to crimes against women. Of these 42, 2 candidates have declared cases related to rape (IPC Section-376).
The ADR stated that among the major parties, the figures for candidates with serious criminal cases are as follows:
| Party | Candidates Analysed | With Serious Criminal Cases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Suraaj Party | 114 | 49 | 43% |
| RJD | 70 | 42 | 60% |
| BJP | 48 | 27 | 56% |
| INC | 23 | 12 | 52% |
| CPI(ML)(L) | 14 | 9 | 64% |
| BSP | 89 | 16 | 18% |
| JD(U) | 57 | 15 | 26% |
| AAP | 44 | 9 | 20% |
| Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) | 13 | 5 | 38% |
| CPI | 5 | 4 | 80% |
| CPI(M) | 3 | 3 | 100% |
There are 91 (75%) out of 121 constituencies designated as 'red alert constituencies'. Red alert constituencies are those where three or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.
The ADR highlighted the fact that the directions of the Supreme Court have had no observable effect on the political parties in their selection of candidates for the Bihar assembly elections 2025.
They have once again followed their previous practice of giving tickets to around 32 per cent of candidates with criminal cases.
All major parties contesting in phase 1 of the Bihar elections have given tickets to between 20 per cent and 100 per cent of candidates who have declared criminal cases against themselves.
The Supreme Court, in its directions dated February 13, 2020, had specifically instructed political parties to provide reasons for such selection and explain why other individuals without criminal antecedents could not be selected as candidates.
As per these mandatory guidelines, the reasons for such selection must be in reference to the concerned candidate's qualifications, achievements, and merit.
During the Delhi assembly elections held in February 2025, it was observed that political parties offered unsubstantiated and baseless reasons, such as the person's popularity, good social work, or cases being 'politically motivated', etc.
The ADR maintains that these are not sound and cogent reasons for fielding candidates with tainted backgrounds.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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