News Delhi, Feb 8 (FN Agency) Seventy-seven (26 per cent) candidates in Goa have criminal cases against them, according to Goa Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms. The organisation’s report also suggested that the number of candidates with serious criminal charges has also soared this year. This time, 53 (18%) of the total 301 candidates have serious criminal cases against them. In 2017, 19 (8%) of the 251 candidates had serious charges against them. The report released in Panaji on Tuesday by Prof Bhasker Assoldekar, ADR’s Goa coordinator. The report also said 12 candidates have declared cases related to crime against women, out of which one is embroiled in a case related to rape (IPC Section-376) while eight have attempt to murder cases (IPC Section-307) against them. It mentioned that 12 (30%) out of 40 constituencies are Red alert constituencies. Red alert constituencies are those where 3 or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.
On party wise, the report said, 13 (35%) out of 37 candidates analysed from INC, 3(23%) out of 13 candidates analysed from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak, 7 (18%) out of 40 candidates analysed from BJP, 2 (15%) out of 13 candidates analysed from NCP, 4 (15%) out of 26 candidates analysed from AITC and 4 (10%) out of 39 candidates analysed from AAP have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits. On wealth of candidates, the report said out of the 301 candidates, 187(62%) are crorepatis. In 2017 Goa Assembly Elections, out of 251 candidates, 156 (62%) were crorepatis. On parties wise the report said BJP, has 32 (87%) crorepati candidates out of 37 candidates analysed , whereas INC has 9 crorepati candidates out of 13 candidates analysed. Maharashtrawadi Gomantak, 17(65%) out of 26 candidates analysed from AITC, 2(67%) out of 3 candidates analysed from Goa Forward Party, 24(62%) out of 39 candidates analysed from AAP and 8(62%) out of 13 candidates analysed from NCP have declared assets valued more than Rs 1 crore. “The average of assets per candidate contesting in the Goa Assembly Elections 2022 is Rs 6.48 Crores. In 2017 Goa Assembly Elections, average assets per candidate for 251 candidates was Rs.4.75 crores,” it said.