Bhubaneswar: Twelve Lok Sabha and 152 Assembly candidates in Odisha have criminal cases, says a joint study by the Odisha Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on the self-sworn affidavits of the candidates for the second phase polls scheduled on April 18.
Out of 35 candidates contesting five Lok Sabha seats, seven (20%) candidates have criminal cases and five (14%) have serious criminal cases against themselves.
Similarly, out of 241 candidates contesting 35 Assembly seats, 84 (35%) candidates have criminal cases and 68 (28%) have serious criminal cases against themselves.
Among the major parties, 21 (35%) candidates from the BJP, 17 (53%) from the Congress, 13 (37%) from the BJD, and 4 (17%) from the BSP have criminal cases, according to their affidavits.
Besides, 18 (51%) out of 35 candidates from the BJP, 10 (31%) out of 32 from the Congress, 11 (31%) out of 35 from the BJD, and 4 (17%) out of 23 from the BSP have serious criminal cases against themselves.
