60% Of Left, BJP Phase 3 Bengal Candidates Have Criminal Cases: Report

205 candidates are contesting in the third phase of West Bengal elections to be held on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

Twenty-six per cent of the 205 candidates contesting in the third phase of the West Bengal assembly elections this year have declared criminal cases against themselves, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the BJP had the highest share with over 60 per cent of their candidates named in criminal cases. The West Bengal Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all the 205 candidates who are contesting in the polls to be held on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. "Out of 205 candidates analysed, 53 (26 per cent) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves and 43 (21 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves," the report said. Among the major parties, 19 (61 per cent) out of 31 candidates analysed from the BJP, eight (62 per cent) out of 13 candidates analysed from the CPI (M), three (43 per cent) out of seven candidates analysed from the Congress, 11 (36 per cent) out of 31 candidates analysed from the Trinamool Congress and two (11 per cent) out of 18 candidates analysed from the SUCI(C) have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.