Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, April 28: A total of 72 parliamentary constituencies (including Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag constituency) spread across nine states – Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal – will go to polls today in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019.
In this phase of polling, 961 candidates are in the fray and 99 of them are female candidates. Voting will begin at 7 am.
Interestingly, polling in Jammu and Kashmir’s 3-Anantnag parliamentary constituency, where 18 candidates are contesting, is being conducted in three phases. It began in the third phase held on April 23, and will continue on Monday before wrapping up on May 6 (Phase V).
According to the National Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 928 out of 943 candidates (excluding Anantnag constituency), who are contesting in Phase IV, a staggering 23 percent has declared criminal cases against themselves. A total of 306 (33%) candidates are crorepatis and average asset of the candidates is INR 4.53 crore.
Criminal background of candidates based on affidavits filed with ECI:
- 210 (23%) have declared criminal cases against themselves
- 158 (17%) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves
- 12 candidates have declared convicted cases against themselves
- Five candidates have declared cases related to murder (IPC section - 302) against themselves
- 24 candidates have declared cases related to attempt murder (IPC section 307) against themselves
- Four candidates have declared cases related to kidnapping
- 21 candidates have declared cases related to crime against women
- 16 candidates have declared cases related to hate speech
Interesting facts about candidates in Phase IV
- Nakul Nath, who is contesting from Chhindwara (MP) with Congress ticket, is the richest with INR 660 cr.
- Three independent candidates have zero assets in their affidavits
- 404 (44%) candidates have declared their educational qualification to be between 5th and 12th
- 454 (49%) candidates are graduates and above, 34 of them just literate, and nine are illiterate.
Odisha assembly election
The fourth phase of polling to the 147-member Odisha legislative assembly will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections (six constituencies). With polling for 105 assembly constituencies having already completed on April 11, 18 and 23, voting for remaining 41 seats will be held today.
The legislative assembly election in Odisha was supposed to be completed by April 29, but polling for the Patkura assembly constituency was countermanded following the death of BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwal on April 20. The Election Commission has announced that election for this assembly segment would now be held on May 19.
However, counting of votes in this constituency will be done on May 23 along with other assembly segments and 542 Lok Sabha seats (Election in Vellore constituency cancelled).
