28% Candidates Contesting 3rd Phase LS Polls in Odisha Have Criminal Cases

Bhubaneswar: As many as 18 of the 64 candidates contesting in the six Lok Sabha seats that are going to polls in the third phase in Odisha on May 25 have criminal cases against them, stated a report by Odisha Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The candidates with criminal cases constitute 28 per cent of the total candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections in this phase in Odisha. These 18 candidates have declared the criminal cases pending against them in the self-sworn affidavits submitted along with their nomination papers.

The report said that 13 (20%) of these candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves. One candidate has a murder case (IPC Section 302) pending against him, while four candidates have attempt to murder (IPC Section 307) cases against them. Four candidates have cases related to crime against women.

On May 25, voting will be held in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Puri, and Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituencies.