Guwahati: A total of 21 out of 375 candidates contesting for the Meghalaya Assembly Elections 2023 have criminal cases against themselves, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has revealed.
The election to the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly will go to polls on February 27.
ADR recently analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all 375 candidates. Out of 375 candidates analysed, 233 are from national parties, 69 are from state parties, 29 are from registered unrecognised parties and 44 candidates are contesting independently.
According to the report, 5 out of 60 candidates from Congress, 6 out of 57 candidates from NPP, 1 out of 60 candidates from BJP and 3 out of 56 candidates from AITC have submitted affidavits, declaring that they have criminal cases against them.
Among serious criminal cases, 15 (4 per cent) candidates have declared that they have faced serious criminal cases as against 21 (6 per cent) in the 2018 polls.
Four candidates from Congress, four from NPP, one from the BJP and two from the AITC have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
The NPP ranked on top with 43 out of 60 candidates contesting the polls being crorepatis.
The average assets per candidate contesting in the Assembly Elections are valued at Rs 5.91 cr, with the NPP leading in average assets of Rs 10.68 crore.
The average assets per candidate for 56 BJP candidates is valued at Rs. 2.71 crore, while that for the Congress is Rs 4.34 crore and the AITC Rs 4.95 crore.
Metbah Lyngdoh, a UDP member representing the Mairang constituency, holds the highest valued assets at over Rs 146 crore, followed by Vincent .H. Pala and Evalyni Kharbani with total assets of over Rs 125 crore and Rs 109 crore respectively.