GUWAHATI, April 5 � About 11 per cent candidates (including first and second phases) facing criminal charges are contesting in the 2011 Assembly polls compared to six per cent reported in the 2006 Assembly elections.
Ten per cent candidates (out of 395 candidates analyzed) with criminal recrods are contesting the second phase of election to be held on April 11 in 64 Legislative Assembly Constituencies (LACs), while 12 per cent of the 331 candidates had contested in the 62 constituencies in the first phase on April 4.
Of the 10 per cent (second phase), three per cent are facing serious criminal charges like murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and extortion.
Among the political parties, AIUDF has fielded 27 per cent candidates with criminal charges in the second phase, while 13 per cent, nine per cent and five per cent candidates of AGP, Congress and BJP respectively have criminal charges against them.
The analysis of 395 candidates by Association for Democratic Reforms and the National Election Watch, which is based on the affidavits submitted by the candidates themselves further bracketed a total of 56 candidates as crorepatis.
It needs mention that 11 per cent of the total number of candidates (331) analyzed by the forum for the first phase of the ensuing elections have criminal cases pending against them.
The forum also disclosed that a total of 50 candidates who had contested the first phase of elections were crorepatis.
Among the major political parties, AIUDF has fielded 17 per cent of its candidates with criminal charges in the first phase, while the percentage stands at 14 per cent and 10 per cent for AGP and the BJP respectively.
Five per cent of the candidates fielded by the Congress in the first phase of polls face criminal charges.
