Five (9 per cent) out of 57 candidates given tickets by Congress have declared criminal background. (File photo)
Forty-two of the 523 candidates contesting in the second phase of Assam Assembly polls have criminal cases and 32 of them face serious offences like murder, kidnapping and crime against women, according to an analysis by two think thanks.
The All India United Democratic Front tops the list with 10 (21 per cent) out of 47 candidates fielded by it have declared criminal cases followed by BJP's five (14 per cent) out of 35 nominees, as per the report by Assam Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
Five (9 per cent) out of 57 candidates given tickets by Congress have declared criminal background while CPI and CPI(M) have fielded one candidate each with criminal background.
A total of 525 candidates are contesting in 61 constituencies in the second phase on April 11. Polling in the first phase for 65 seats had taken place yesterday.
Assam Election Watch and ADR said they analysed self-sworn affidavits of 523 candidates out of 525 who are contesting the second phase of the polls.
"Three (5 per cent) out of 57 candidates from Congress, 4 (11 per cent) out of 35 candidates from BJP, 8 (17 per cent) out of 47 candidates from AIDUF, 1 (11 per cent) out of 9 candidates fielded by CPI-M and 12 (6 per cent) out of 216 Independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves," the analysis said.
It said two candidates have declared cases related to murder while two other have said they are facing cases of attempt to murder.
Similarly two candidates have declared cases relating to kidnapping while two others have said they were facing charges relating to assaulting and outraging modesty of women.