Lok Sabha polls 2014: 16% of candidates in Mumbai-Thane facing criminal cases, says MEW

MUMBAI: About 16 per cent of the candidates from seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane have criminal cases against them, according to Maharashtra Election Watch, a non-profit organisation.

"Affidavits of 140 candidates in six constituencies in Mumbai and one in Thane were analysed for this purpose," said Vivek Gilani and Sharad Kumar of MEW here today.

Affidavits of two candidates were left out as they were incomplete.

Twenty-three candidates have stated in their affidavits accompanying the nominations that they were facing criminal cases; 18 of them (13 per cent) were facing the cases where the maximum punishment was five years or more.

These seven constituencies are going to the polls on April 24.

Of the five Congress candidates, one is facing a criminal case. One AAP candidate out of seven, two BJP candidates out of three, two candidates of Shiv Sena out of four and two candidates of MNS out of three candidates in these seats are facing criminal cases.

In five constituencies, there are at least three candidates each with criminal cases against them.

A 40 per cent (56 out of 140) have assets of Rs 1 crore or more. All the candidates of Congress, BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena are 'crorepatis', while six out of seven candidates of AAP are in the same league.