521 candidates in Telangana have criminal cases, 85 from Congress: Report

New Delhi, Nov 25:  Out of the 2,290 candidates analysed, who are in the election fray in Telangana this year, 521 candidates have criminal cases registered against them with a maximum of 85 candidates of the Congress facing the cases, a report revealed on Saturday.

The report has been released by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Telangana Election Watch, which analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all 2,290 candidates, who are contesting in the Telangana 2023 Assembly Elections.

The report said, “Out of 2,290 candidates analysed, 355 are from national parties, 175 are from state parties, 771 are from registered unrecognised parties and 989 candidates are contesting independently.”

The report said that out of the 2290 candidates analysed in Telangana Assembly elections 2023, 521 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.

The report highlighted that in 2018 Telangana Assembly Elections, out of 1,777 candidates analysed, 368 had declared criminal cases against themselves.

The report further stated that 353 have declared serious criminal cases. It highlighted that in 2018 assembly elections, 231 candidates had declared serious criminal cases against themselves.

“Among the major parties, 85 out of 118 candidates analysed from Congress, 79 out of 111 candidates analysed from BJP and 57 out of 119 candidates analysed from BRS have declared criminal cases against them,” the report said.

The report said that 40 out of 107 candidates from BSP, 12 out of 19 candidates from CPI(M), 10 out of 41 candidates from All India Forward Bloc and five out of nine candidates from All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

The report also said that 60 out of 118 candidates analysed from Congress, 54 out of 111 candidates from BJP, 34 out of 119 candidates from BRS have declared serious criminal cases against them.

It said that 28 out of 107 candidates analysed from BSP, six out of 19 candidates from CPI(M), seven out of 41 candidates from All India Forward Bloc and three out of nine candidates from AIMIM have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

The report also highlighted that 45 candidates have declared cases related to crime against women while three of them have declared cases related to rape.

“Seven candidates have declared cases related to murder against themselves, 27 candidates have declared cases related to attempt to murder,” the report said.

The report also said that 96 out of 119 constituencies are red alert constituencies.

Red alert constituencies are those where three or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.

In 2018, 78 constituencies in the Telangana assembly elections 2018 had three or more candidates with declared criminal cases.

Polling for the 119 member assembly is scheduled on November 30. The ruling BRS led by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is eyeing a third consecutive term in the southern state while the Congress and the BJP are also trying to wrest power from it.