Thursday, March 29, 2007

UP election Watch First Phase Data

Summary Note
UP Election Watch 2007
1st Phase Data

ADR PVCHR

UP Election Watch is a non-partisan body of citizens engaged in creating avenues of better participation of citizens in the Governance process. We believe that by exercising an informed choice the voters/citizens can create a momentum for an accountable and response system.

The UPEW, along with 200 CBOs/NGOs created a network of citizens across the state for this purpose.

The process has been initiated in the state by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) which is engaged in strengthening democracy in the country through political and electoral reforms.

People’s Vigilance committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) has become the coordinating body of the whole process. PVCHR has been involved with the cause of hunger, malnutrition, education, health and governance for the most marginalized and voiceless section of Indian society.

Many civil society organizations are part of the UPEW. For the constituencies that are going to the polls in the first phase of UP assembly elections, the contribution of network partners like Apada Niwaran Manch,Parmarth samaj santhan, Pahuj Vikas manch are worth a mention. Without the relentless efforts of such network partners’ collection of affidavits would have been impossible.

Following the Supreme Court judgment on candidate’s disclosure, it was the responsibility of the Civil Society to see that clean and responsive candidates are elected. Such a task could not be left to the political parties who across the board put up candidates with pending criminal records and are themselves non-transparent in financial and internal functioning matter.

UPEW collected affidavits of 785 candidates contesting in the 62 assembly seats that are going to the polls in first phase.
· 131 candidates had pending criminal cases against them
· Among the major political parties BSP led the pack with 22/62 (35.48%) closely followed by SP 19/61(31.15%), BJP 16/54 (29.63%) and INC 15/62 (24.20%).
· 32 seats in the first phase were earlier (2002) occupied by people with serious criminal charges. This time round 11 of them have not mentioned any criminal cases pending against them. According to the UP Government website all of them have pending cases.
· There are seven constituencies which have more that five candidates with pending cases. This are Jasrana,Hamirpur, Firozabad,Lalitpur,Agara Cantt, Kanpur and Aliganj.
· 509 (64.84%) candidates did not have PAN. Among political parties INC led with 35.48%, BSP 32.25%, SP 31.14% and BJP 24.07 %.
· There were 74 candidates who declared assets worth more than Rupees one crore. SP led the team with 17 such candidates followed by BSP 14, BJP 14, and INC 11.
· The average assets of a SP candidate were 87.23 lacs, BJP 79.32 lacs, INC 58.88 Lacs and BSP 55.00Lacs.
· Among the top ten candidates with high liabilities one INC candidate with 30 lacs loan did not even posses PAN.

The above data and enclosed information have been culled from affidavits provided by candidates at the time of nominations. These are accessible at www.eci.gov.in. For accuracy of the data please check this website. Volunteers of PVCHR are not responsible for any error.

Note: The data is in excel- sheets containing several pages, please go through them.



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