Criminal Records of Candidates
Analysis of self-sworn affidavits of 695 candidates contesting in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections revealed that 159 (23%) have declared criminal cases against themselves. Among these, 122 have serious criminal cases, including 29 related to crimes against women and 28 related to attempted murder.
Party-Wise Analysis: BJP and INC Dominance
Among major national parties, over 40% of candidates in both the BJP and INC have criminal records. The graph below illustrates the party-wise distribution of candidates with criminal and serious criminal cases.
Geographical Distribution of Candidates with Criminal Records
The map below shows the percentage of candidates with criminal cases in each constituency going to polls in the third phase. Mohanlalganj (Uttar Pradesh), Mumbai South, Chatra (Jharkhand), Dhule, and Gonda (Uttar Pradesh) have the highest percentage of candidates with criminal records.
State-Wise Analysis: Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal
The map also indicates the state-wise distribution of candidates with criminal cases. Jharkhand (33%), Odisha (30%), and West Bengal (24%) have the highest share of such candidates.
Crorepati Candidates: Dominance of National Parties
Over 80% of contesting candidates from major parties are crorepatis. Among national parties, over 90% of BJP candidates and 83% of Congress candidates possess assets worth over 1 crore. The chart below illustrates this distribution.
Distribution of Assets: BJP Leads, Independent Candidates Lag
The box plot below showcases the distribution of assets among candidates of major parties. BJP candidates have the highest median assets (₹8.6 crores), while Congress candidates have a median of ₹3.7 crores. Independent candidates across all states, except Ladakh, have a median asset value below ₹50 lakhs.
Geographical Distribution of Crorepati Candidates
The map below shows the constituency-wise share of contesting candidates who are crorepatis. In eight constituencies, at least 50% of the candidates are crorepatis, six of which are in Uttar Pradesh.
Gender Gap: Low Representation of Female Candidates
Out of the 50 constituencies going to polls, 11 do not have any female candidates contesting. The graphs below highlight the share of male and female candidates in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Among national parties, female candidate representation is in single digits.
