Candidates Fail to Submit Criminal Antecedents to EC

Hyderabad: At least 37 candidates, who contested from various political parties in the recent Lok Sabha elections, have failed to submit their criminal antecedents to the Election Commission (EC).

According to sources, the EC received data from political parties about the criminal background of candidates along with newspaper clippings where the information was published.

Out of the total 74 candidates with criminal records across 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, only 37 candidates submitted their details, while the remaining 37 did not comply with the EC’s directive.

Data reveals that a significant number of candidates with criminal backgrounds contested from the Nalgonda constituency, but most failed to share details with the EC. Of the 11 candidates who contested from Nalgonda, only two declared their criminal antecedents.

In Bhongir, six candidates with criminal backgrounds were in the fray, but only two submitted their data. In Hyderabad, seven such candidates contested, with four submitting details, while in Chevella, out of seven candidates with criminal cases, only three provided the required information.

Taking note of these lapses, the EC issued a fresh circular in view of the forthcoming Jubilee Hills by-election, directing political parties and contesting candidates to submit details of their criminal antecedents after the polls. The Commission has also asked parties and candidates to furnish expenditure statements.

For instance, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) submitted an affidavit to the EC stating that it spent a total of Rs 103.26 crore during the Lok Sabha elections, from the date of the announcement of polls to their completion. Of this amount, Rs 16.15 crore was spent on candidates, Rs 20.37 crore on public meetings, Rs 34.68 crore on publicity materials, and Rs 3.30 crore on star campaigners.

Candidates contested criminal past and submission of data in Parliament polls

Nalgonda: 11 candidates having a criminal past-- 2 candidates submitted

Hyderabad:  7-- 4 (submitted data)

Chevella --    7 -- 3 (submitted data)

Bhongir--      6--  2 (submitted data)

Malkajgir:     5 -- 2 (submitted data)

Zaheerabad: 6 -- 2 submitted data