Srinagar: Out of the 175 candidates in fray in 18 constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir which are going to polls in the second phase on Tuesday, 97 or more than 50 per cent are not graduates and nine have criminal cases against them.
The affidavits submitted by the candidates along with their nomination papers suggest that nine of them are illiterate while 28 are school drop-outs, according to Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR).
A total of 55 candidates or 31 per cent are crorepatis and have declared their properties to be worth over Rs one crore. There are only eight women candidates in the fray. Kuldeep Raj Dubey, BJP candidate from Gool Arnas has declared highest assets worth Rs 14.10 crores, while five other candidates, including separatist-turned-mainstream Sajad Gani Lone, have declared more than Rs 10 crores worth of assets in their affidavits.
Lone, who is contesting on Handwara seat, has assets worth Rs 13.98 crores including moveable assets to the tune of Rs 38.45 lakh. Interestingly, a total of 11 candidates have declared zero assets in their affidavits, while five candidates have declared liabilities of Rs one crore and above.
"Nine candidates are illiterate, two are class five pass, while 26 are class eight pass and 30 have listed their educational qualification as class 10," ADR said. While 30 candidates have passed class 12, 18 are simple graduates and 26 professional graduates.
"There are 25 post-graduate candidates, two have a doctorate degree and five have not listed their qualifications," the analysis by the ADR said.
Nine, a total of five per cent, candidates have declared criminal cases against them, while six of them have serious criminal cases, including kidnapping, rioting and forgery registered against them.
Balwant Singh Mankotia of National Panthers Party from Udhampur constituency, in Jammu regions, has declared a case related to kidnapping (IPC Section 363) against him in his poll affidavit. Mankotia is also facing the charges of rioting, along with his colleague from Reasi constituency, Balwan Singh, BJP's Mendhar assembly segment candidate Zulfqar Hussain Khan and an independent candidate on Handwara seat Ajaz Ahmad Sofi.
Cheating and dishonestly, criminal intimidation, forgery for purpose of cheating, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and charges related to Act of endangering life or personal safety of others are the other cases the contesting candidates are facing.
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