May 28th 2024.
In a recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms and Odisha Election Watch, it was revealed that a shocking number of candidates running in the Odisha Assembly election have criminal cases against them. Out of the 1283 candidates in the running, a staggering 348 of them have been found to have criminal charges against them.
The report also highlighted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the highest number of candidates with criminal records among all the major political parties in the state. To be more specific, a whopping 68% of BJP's candidates have criminal cases against them. Even more concerning, 58% of these candidates are facing serious charges such as kidnapping, assault, rape, murder, and other offenses that carry a maximum punishment of 5 years or more.
The Congress party also has a significant number of candidates with criminal cases, with 41% of their candidates facing such charges. The ruling party, Biju Janata Dal, has not been spared either, with 46 out of their 147 candidates having criminal records.
The report also shed light on the influence of money in elections, with a trend of major political parties giving tickets to wealthy candidates. Out of the 147 candidates analyzed from BJD, 128 have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore. Similarly, 96 out of 147 BJP candidates, 88 out of 145 INC candidates, and 11 out of 41 AAP candidates have declared assets exceeding Rs 1 crore.
It is evident that money and power play a significant role in our elections, leading to the rise of candidates with dubious backgrounds. A closer look at the data provided by the report raises concerns about the state of our democracy and the standards of our political parties. Only time will tell if any action will be taken to address this issue and ensure the integrity of our electoral process.
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