Digital Desk: According to a study released on Tuesday by an election watchdog, at least 26% of candidates contesting the Goa assembly election have criminal cases filed against them, and 8% have been arrested for major offences.
According to the report, Congress has the most candidates with criminal cases, followed by the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the BJP.
The information is a part of a report released on Tuesday by the Goa Election Watch and the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR).
According to the research, 26 percent (77) of the 301 candidates contesting the election have declared criminal cases pending against them in various courts in their affidavits, with 8% facing serious criminal charges.
According to the ADR, at least 35% of Congress candidates have criminal charges, followed by the MGP with 23%, the BJP with 18%, the NCP and TMC with 15% each, and the AAP with 10%.
According to the election watchdog, 12 candidates have revealed cases of crime against women, one of which is a rape case. Eight of the candidates have attempted murder charges against them.
There are a total of 301 candidates fielding in the Goa assembly election on February 14, with 116 from national parties, 104 from state parties, 13 from unrecognized parties, and 68 Independents.
According to the ADR, at least 156 candidates are contesting from the South Goa district, while 145 are contesting from the North Goa region.
According to reports, the BJP has fielded candidates in all 40 constituencies, while the Congress will run in 37 and its coalition partner, the Goa Forward Party (GFP), would run in three.
According to the report, the Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) will contest 26 seats, the NCP 13 seats, the AAP 39 seats, the Shiv Sena 11 seats, the MGP 13 seats, the Goencho Swabhiman party four seats, the Jai Mahabharat Party six seats, the Sambhaji Brigade three seats, and the Revolutionary Goans in 38 seats.
According to the candidates' affidavits, 187 of them (or 62% of the total) are crorepatis.
A per ADR, at least 31% of candidates have assets worth more than Rs 5 crore, 16% have assets worth between Rs 2 and Rs 5 crore, 20% have assets worth between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 50 lakh, and 11% have assets worth less than Rs 10 lakh.
According to the report, 95% of BJP candidates are crorepatis, followed by 87 percent of Congress candidates, 69 percent of MGP candidates, 65 percent of TMC candidates, 67 percent of GFP candidates, 62 percent of AAP candidates, and 62 percent of NCP candidates.
According to the survey, the richest candidates are Congress' Michael Lobo (Calangute) and his wife Delilah (Siolim), who each have assets worth Rs 92 crore, followed by Dr Chandrakant Shetye, an Independent candidate from Bicholim, who has assets of Rs 59 crore.
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