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A total of 130 candidates with serious criminal cases against them including related to murder will contest in the first phase of Bihar assembly polls on October 12. Polling will be held in 49 out of 243 seats in this phase with 583 candidates in the fray.
The Association for Democratic Reforms, which has prepared a report through the candidates' affidavits obtained from Election Commission website, said 170 candidates have criminal cases against them while 130 of them contesting from 37 seats have been booked for serious non-bailable offences.
There are 16 candidates with cases related to murder, including Pradeep Kumar of Janata Dal-United from Warsaliganj constituency who has declared four cases related to murder. Seven independent candidates too have cases of murder against them, the report said
A total of 37 candidates face cases of attempt to murder. Ramswarup Yadav, an Independent from Hisua constituency, faces five charges related to attempt to murder, while one each from Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and Jan Adhikar Party-Loktantrik and three candidates from JD-U have declared attempt to murder cases.
The 37 constituencies with three or more candidates with criminal cases contesting the elections have been declared 'Red Alert Constituencies' by the ADR.
The number of crorepatis contesting the first phase poll is 146 which is 25 per cent of the total number of 583 candidates. Party wise, the largest number of crorepati candidates, 19, belong to the JD-U closely followed by BJP with 18 candidates, and RJD which has 11 candidates, it said.
The average assets of candidates contesting the polls in first phase is Rs 1.44 crore, added the report.