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Lok Sabha Elections 2024: In the upcoming third phase of the 18th Lok Sabha elections, 29 per cent or 392 of the 1,352 candidates are ‘crorepatis’, with the typical property per candidate standing at a considerable Rs 5.66 crore, in accordance with an evaluation of particulars of candidates contesting the elections in the third phase by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and The National Election Watch.
The prime three candidates, based mostly on their declared property, possess wealth amounting to lots of of crores, with the best declared property surpassing Rs 1,361 crore.
The third phase of the elections will probably be held on May 7.
As per the ADR report, in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, solely 9 per cent or 123 of the 1,352 candidates contesting are girls.
18 per cent have criminal cases
Among the candidates contesting in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, 18 per cent have declared criminal cases in opposition to themselves. Additionally, seven candidates have declared prior convictions.
Out of the 244 candidates with criminal data contesting in the third phase, 5 are dealing with costs associated to homicide, whereas 24 have been booked in cases of tried homicide. Furthermore, 38 candidates have been linked to crimes in opposition to girls, and 17 have declared cases associated to hate speech.
The prevalence of criminal cases varies considerably throughout main political events, with figures highlighting regarding traits amongst candidates from outstanding events such because the BJP, Congress and the Samajwadi Party.
Educational and demographic backgrounds of candidates
The evaluation additionally examines the tutorial and demographic profiles of the candidates. It reveals that 47 per cent, or 639 candidates, have academic {qualifications} starting from lessons 5 to 12, whereas 44 per cent, or 591 candidates, are graduates or have greater academic {qualifications}.
In phrases of age, 30 per cent, or 411 candidates, are between 25 and 40 years outdated, whereas 53 per cent, or 712 candidates, fall throughout the 41 to 60 age bracket.
In response to those findings, the ADR has proposed stringent measures to handle the criminalisation of politics, together with everlasting disqualification of candidates convicted of heinous crimes and cancellation of tax exemptions for political events fielding “tainted” candidates.
The report highlights the pressing necessity for accountability and openness in India’s political sphere, stressing the crucial for electoral reforms to safeguard the integrity of the democratic course of.
(With PTI inputs)
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