Ranchi:
About 70 candidates in the third and the fourth phases of assembly elections on December eight and 12 respectively have criminal cases, including rape and murder, pending against them, a report says.
According to an analysis made by an NGO, of the total 288 candidates, 69 have criminal cases pending against them.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has given tickets to a maximum of 21 such candidates, while BJP and Congress have ten nominees each.
The report was prepared by Jharkhand Election Watch, a state-unit of National Election Watch and Association of Democratic Reforms (NEW-ADR), an umbrella body of over 1,200 NGOs on the basis of analysis of affidavits submitted by candidates.
There are 11 nominees with criminal cases contesting on tickets of All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), seven of CPI (M) (L), six of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Progressive) and four from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
According to the report which was made after analysis of affidavits of 266 candidates, there are about 20 candidates who have declared their assets worth over Rs one crore.
Congress nominee from Hazaribagh constituency, Surabh Narain Singh has assets over Rs nine crore.
Two other candidates -- JDU's Sundar Hembram and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Sanjay Gupta -- who are contesting from Ghatsila and Hazaribagh constituencies have declared Rs 6.72 crore and Rs 5.58 crore worth assets respectively.
About 158 candidates, most of whom have declared their assets worth lakhs, have not given their PAN card details.
The association also made analysis of educational details of the candidates. While one candidate has doctorate, 21 contestants are post graduates and 68 graduates.
The data said 58 each have qualified class X and class XII, 30 are class VIII passed whereas one is just class V pass.
The five-phase polls to the 81-member assembly will end on December 18.
"Our members strive hard to inform voters to make wise choice during the polls. Our aim is to stop criminalization of politics and bring in transparency in the system," said Anil Bairwal, National coordinator.