Ahmedabad: As many as 58 out of total 370 candidates in the fray from all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat have various criminal cases registered against them, as per Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysis.
Among them, 34 nominees are facing serious offences including the charges of murder and attempt to murder under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In terms of proportion, 16 per cent of the total candidates have criminal cases against them while 9 per cent are facing serious cases, the ADR stated.
Voting in all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be held in a single phase on April 23.
At 19, Independent candidates lead the pack of the 34 nominees facing serious cases, followed by the Congress (nine contestants) and the BJP (five candidates).
As per the analysis, BJP chief Amit Shah, the party candidate from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, is facing charges including criminal intimidation, mischief by fire, promoting enmity between members of different groups etc.
In his poll affidavit filed last month, Shah had declared that though four criminal cases were pending against him, he has not been convicted in any of them.
Bharatiya Tribal Party candidate and party chief Chhotu Vasava and his Congress opponent from Bharuch Lok Sabha constituency, Sherkhan Pathan are faceing charges related to the murder.
Apart from the charges registered section 302 (Punishment for murder) of the IPC at Jhagadiya police station in 1993, Vasava also faces charges related to theft, rioting, causing grievous hurt, a criminal conspiracy among others. The charges are yet to be framed.
Pathan also faces five other serious cases, including charges related to undue influence during elections, kidnapping, and voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons.
Bhagvan Goltar, an Independent candidate in the fray from Surendranagar seat, and Vijay Parmar, the Bahujan Samaj Party nominee from Rajkot, are also facing charges of murder, attempt to murder, robbery under the IPC, as per ADR.
Amrutbhai Karia, an Independent candidate from Junagadh constituency, has the highest number of 11 serious cases against him. These cases are related to attempt to murder, forgery, cheating, endangering life or personal safety of others, it said.
BJP contestant from Anand, Mitesh Patel has nine serious offences registered against him, including promoting enmity between members of different groups, rioting with
deadly weapons, mischief with fire, and housebreaking among others, it said.
Patel also faces the charges related to cheating, promoting enmity between two communities, rioting and arson, related to the post-Godhra riots.
He was acquitted by a court, which was challenged in the Gujarat High Court by the state government, where the matter is pending.
Pravin Dengada, an Independent candidate from Rajkot, has six serious offences pending against him, including theft, mischief by fire, using a deadly weapon to voluntary causing hurt, among others, the ADR analysis shows.
Bhupat Solanki, an Independent candidate from Surendranagar, also has six serious offences registered against him that include dacoity, causing hurt by dangerous
weapons, house trespass etc.
Geetaben Patel, who is in the arena from Ahmedabad (East) seat on a Congress ticket, has five serious offences against her related to house-trespass and voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant, among others.
Dharamsinhbhai Dhapa, a Vyavastha Parivartan Party candidate from Amreli seat, has five serious offences against him including dacoity, mischief by fire or explosives, and house-trespass.
Congress nominee from Dahod Babubhai Katara has four serious cases against him related to cheating and forgery.
Rajkot candidate Lalit Kagathara of Congress is facing serious offences including bribery, undue influence and illegal payment during elections.
Vadodara candidate Prashant Patel of Congress also faces three serious charges under the IPC, including forgery and cheating.
Soyabhai Bhoraniya, an Independent candidate from Patan, is facing charges related to attempt to murder and voluntarily causing hurt.
Another independent candidate from Jamnagar seat, Sama Yusuf, also faces attempt to murder charge.
Vechat Khant, a Congress candidate from Panchmahal seat, faces charges related to dacoity.
Junagadh BJP candidate Rajesh Chudasama is facing serious offences including assault or using criminal force against woman with intent to outrage her modesty.
Amardas Dasani, an independent candidate from Rajkot, is also facing similar charges.
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