Lucknow, Feb 13 (PTI) As any as 76 candidates contesting the fifth phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections have criminal cases pending against them. Out of 248 candidates analysed by the National Election Watch for the fifth phase of Assembly elections, 76 have declared criminal cases against them. Amongst major parties, every party has given tickets to candidates who have declared criminal cases. SP has 24, Congress has 14, BJP has 13, BSP has 12, JD(U) has 6, Bundelkhand Congress has 4, Peace Party has 2 and Apna Dal has one candidate with declared criminal cases. Out of these 76 candidates with declared criminal cases, 35 have declared serious criminal cases like murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, robbery and extortion. A total of 118 (47 per cent) candidates out of 248 analysed are crorepatis. In 2007, there were only 22 per cent crorepati candidates. The candidates with maximum assets is independent candidate Balvir Singh from Govindnagar seat with assets worth Rs 47.80 crore, followed by Brijendra Kumar Vyas of Congress from Jhansi with assets of Rs 24.09 crore and Rajendra Kumar Yadav of Congress from Babina constituency with assets worth Rs 22.88 crore. Mahendra of Bundelkhand Congress from Babina has declared zero assets. Out of 840 candidates in fray only 90 are women. Total 26 sitting MLAs are re-contesting in this phase with an average asset of Rs 3.07. Saeed Mustfa Shervani of Congress has the highest annual income at Rs 65.84 lakh followed by Jaiveer Singh BSP at Rs 54.56 lakh, Nandram Sonker of Congress at Rs 46.62 lakh and Deepnarayan Singh of SP at Rs. 45.02 lakh as per their last filed Income Tax Returns. A total of 65 candidates of 249 candidates have declared that they have never filed income tax returns. As many as 36 candidates have not declared their PAN details.
