Lok Sabha election 2024: Analysis of Candidates contesting in phase 2 polling

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Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to be used in the 2nd phase of Lok Sabha elections, at a distribution centre, in Bangalore, Thursday, April 25, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI

For the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls, there are a total of 1,198 candidates contesting across all constituencies. Data sourced from Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and MyNeta.info details the total assets, gender, declared criminal cases, and the party affiliation from self-sworn affidavits of 1,192 candidates that are contesting across 87 constituencies in 12 States/UTs.

Also read: Lok sabha elections 2024 LIVE news- April 27th

The six candidates not analysed are the following:

Over 40% of the candidates of major parties have criminal cases against them

Out of the 1,192 candidates analysed, 250 or around 20% of the candidates have declared criminal cases against them in their self-sworn affidavits; 167 of which have serious criminal cases declared against them. The overview of the criminal backgrounds of the contesting candidates is in the table below.

Among the major national and state parties, barring Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), all the parties over 40% of candidates with criminal cases, as shown in the bar chart below. Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have 51% and 45% of their candidates with criminal cases, respectively. Out of the 74 candidates fielded by BSP during Phase 2, six (or roughly 8%) are with criminal cases.

The map below shows the percentage of candidates with criminal cases in each of the constituencies going on poll during April 26. Among the top five constituencies with the largest share of candidates with criminal cases, each of them are from Kerala. These constituencies are: Idukki (57%), Wayanad (55%), Ernakulam (55%), Pathanamthitta (50%), and Malappuram (50%).

Among the candidates analysed of 12 States/UTs going on poll on April 26, Kerala has the highest share of candidates with criminal cases (35%), followed by Bihar and Maharashtra (at 24% each), and West Bengal (23%). The state-wise share of candidates with and without criminal cases is shown in the bar chart below.

According to ADR, the Supreme Court in its directions dated dated 13th February, 2020 had specifically instructed political parties to give reasons for such selection and why other individuals without criminal antecedents could not be selected as candidates. Over 40% of the candidates of all major parties contesting during Phase 2 have criminal cases against them.

Over 90% of BJP and Congress's candidates are crorepatis

Of the total assets of candidates analysed among the national parties, over 90% of BJP (93%) and Congress (91%) candidates are crorepatis. Among major state parties, barring CPI, all parties' candidates are crorepatis, as shown in the chart below.

The box plot below showcases the distribution of assets of candidates of major parties. Among the national parties, the median assets held by BJP candidates is the highest at ₹6.75 crores, while that of Congress candidates is ₹4.9 crores.

However, when it comes to candidates with criminal cases, the median of total assets held by Congress candidates is ₹9.95 crores, while those of BJP candidates is ₹5.15 crores. The plot below facets the total assets held by candidates of major parties by whether they are charged with criminal cases or not.

When it comes to independent candidates, the median of total assets held by candidates of all 12 States/UTs is below ₹1 crore as shown in the box plot below, whether they're charged with criminal cases or not.

Around 85% of the Idukki's contesting candidates are crorepatis. As shown above, Idukki also has the highest share of contesting candidates who have criminal cases declared. The map below shows the share of candidates, constituency-wise, who are crorepatis.

Number of female candidates fielded by major parties for Phase 2 in single-digits

On April 26, only 100 (or 8.4%) of the contesting 1,192 candidates are women.

The percentage of participating female candidates was the highest in the constituency of Vadakara (40%) in Kerala. Out of all the constituencies up for polls on April 26, the percentage of female candidates was higher than 20% (but lower than 40%) in only 9 (or almost one-tenth the number of) constituencies. These constituencies are Mathura (20%), Palakkad (20%), Ghaziabad (21.43%), Tripura East (22.2%), Wayanad (22.2%), Ponnani (25%), Bangalore North (28.6%), Kasargod (33.3%), and Vadakara (40%).

There are no female candidates in 27 or in almost one-third the number of constituencies that are going on poll on April 26. The map below shows the percentage of female candidates in the constituencies on poll during Phase 2 of the Lok Sabha elections.

From the major national and state parties, the number of female candidates contesting are in single digits as shown in the bar chart below. Among national parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the highest number (9) of female candidates contesting on April 26. Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party each have only 6 women contesting.

Among major state parties, the Communist Party of India (CPI) is the only party that has fielded a female candidate. Trinamool Congress, JD(U), and JD(S).