Election campaign is in full swing for the upcoming assembly elections in Kerala. All political parties are holding massive rallies. Meanwhile, the report of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has come out regarding the criminal records of the candidates before the elections. According to the report, out of total 883 candidates, 324 (38%) have given information about criminal cases against themselves, out of which 201 (23%) have serious charges registered against them.
Data from the affidavits submitted by the candidates to the Election Commission of India as part of the nomination process shows that candidates with criminal cases are not limited to any one party, but this trend is seen in almost all the major parties.
Among major parties, 72 out of 85 candidates of Congress, 59 out of 93 candidates of BJP and 51 out of 77 candidates of CPM have given information about criminal cases in their affidavits.
The ADR report also identified a large number of “red alert” constituencies in the state. Of the 140 assembly seats in the state, there are 59 (42%) where three or more candidates have criminal cases registered against them. It is clear from this that the number of such candidates is very high in many important areas.
ADR analyzed the affidavits of 863 candidates out of total 883. The remaining candidates could not be assessed as their documents were incomplete or unclear.
The report also revealed that this situation is not new. There has not been any significant improvement in the selection of candidates as compared to the previous elections. Despite Supreme Court's directions regarding transparency, political parties are giving tickets to candidates with criminal background.
An analysis of criminal, financial and other background details conducted by two NGOs, including the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Kerala Election Watch, has revealed that 70% of sitting MLAs in the Kerala Assembly have reported criminal cases against themselves.
Assembly elections in Kerala are to be held on April 9, while counting of votes will take place on May 4. Sabha political parties are trying their best to capture power in the state. Veteran leaders of BJP and Congress are trying to woo the public by holding massive rallies.
