The upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections have brought attention to a concerning issue – candidates with pending criminal cases. According to affidavits filed with the Election Commission of India, 21% of candidates in the second phase have criminal cases pending against them, including serious offenses like murder and rape.
Breakdown of Candidates with Criminal Cases
– 47 out of 238 candidates are facing criminal cases
– 7 candidates are accused of crimes against women, including 1 case of rape
– 37 candidates have other criminal cases against them
– 3 candidates have murder cases registered against them
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Major political parties are also not immune to this issue, with candidates from the BJP, PDP, Congress, and National Conference facing criminal cases.
Red Alert Constituencies
Due to the presence of these candidates with criminal records, the Election Commission of India has declared 8 constituencies as “red alert” constituencies. The Election Commission of India gives “red alert” status to constituencies with three or more contesting candidates who have criminal cases pending against them.
Candidate Profiles
An analysis of the candidates reveals some interesting trends:
– Education: Contesting candidates have below-average educational qualifications, with most having studied between 5th and 12th standard. Only 114 candidates are graduates or above.
– Age: 84 candidates are between 25-40 years old, 105 are between 41-60, and 49 are between 61-80.
– Gender: Only 3 female candidates are in the fray for the second phase.
Election Schedule
The second phase of voting is scheduled for September 25, with the third and final phase on October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8. The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has 90 seats, with 47 in the Kashmir division and 43 in the Jammu division.
