AT A GLANCE: Rich, poor, criminals in TN poll fray

Vicky Nanjappa takes a look at backgrounds of candidates from Tamil Nadu

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will go to the polls this year with 43 candidates who have pending criminal charges against them, while their arch rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has fielded 24 such candidates, according to a report by the National Election Watch.

The report has been prepared on the analysis of 679 candidates so far in the Tamil Nadu 2011 assembly elections. The reports states that 125 candidates out of 679 (about 18.4 per cent) with pending criminal cases against them, as per their self sworn affidavits given to the Election Commission.

Out of these, 125 candidates with pending criminal cases, 66 have declared pending serious criminal cases such as murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion etc on them.

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All major parties have given tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds. The AIADMK has 43 out of 144 (30 per cent), the DMK has 24 out of 111 (22 per cent), the Bharatiya Janata Party has 19 out of 169 (11 per cent), Pattali Makkal Katchi has 14 out of 27 (52 per cent), the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam has 7 out of 36 (19 per cent), The Congress has 6 out of 54 (11 per cent), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi has 3 out of 6 (50 per cent). The Communist Party of India-Marxist also has candidates with pending criminal cases.

Of the candidates with serious criminal cases, the AIADMK has 27 , the BJP has 10 , the DMK has 9 , the PMK has 6 , the INC has 5 , the DMDK has 2 , the VCK has 2 , the CPI(M) has 2 , the PTP has 1 and the BSP has 1 such candidate.

Top five candidates with pending criminal cases:

M Muruganandam (Nagapattinam) of the BJP has a total of ten cases ranging from attempt to murder and dacoity.

J Gurunathan of the PMK from the Jayankondam constituency has 9 cases ranging from voluntarily causing hurt and promoting enemity.

Raja of the DMK from the Anthiyur constituency has 4 pending cases ranging from theft to abduction.

P G Bose of the BJP fighting from the Didigul constituency has 4 pending cases which include attempt to murder.

R Elango of the BJP from the Peravurani constituency has 2 pending cases against him ranging from obscene acts and attempt to murder.

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H Vasanthakumar of the Indian National Congress is the richest candidate with 133 crore

S Duraiswamy of AIADM is worth Rs 64 crore

E Subaya of AIADMK is worth Rs 60 crore

Mohammad Sheikh Dawood of the IUML is worth Rs 53 crore

J Jayalalithaa of the AIADMK is worth Rs 51 crore

M Karunanidhi chief minister from DMK is worth Rs 44 crore

Karthe of PMK is worth Rs 33 crore

Vijaykant of DMDK is worth Rs 27 crore

R Gandhi of DMK is worth Rs 27 crore

Doraiswamy R of AIADMK is worth Rs 27 crore.

The poorest