MumbaiVotes.com ‘red-flags’ Assembly poll candidates with criminal records
Moreover, according to the site’s research, Sarvankar had topped the chart ahead of the 2009 elections as well.
Mumbaivotes.com, a non-profit portal, has come out with its report on “red flagging” candidates on their criminal record, contesting for the 2014 Assembly elections. The objective, they say, is to provide not just a percentage of candidates with criminal record, but also to devise a system of depicting which candidates have the most serious charges against them, based on the penalty attracted by charges they mention in their affidavits.
This time, the political outreach website has arraigned Sadanand Shankar Sarvankar from the Shiv Sena party as one with the most serious criminal charges, with 199 red flags based on the MumbaiVotes’ red-flagging system.
According to the portal, red flags are calculated based on a mathematical formula which assigns 1 red flag for each minor criminal charge and 2 to 5 red flags for each charges of fraud, violent crimes, rape, robbery, extortion, kidnapping and murder of the Indian Penal Code(IPC). Sarvankar is booked under sections 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide) and 307 (Attempt to murder) of the IPC.
The second from the top is Ramchandra Shivaji Kadam from BJP with 101 red flags, who is booked for culpable homicide, kidnapping and for criminal intimidation.
This is followed by Shishir Shinde from MNS on the third position with 94 red flags, facing charges of robbery and criminal intimidation and on fourth place is Bala Nadgaonkar from MNS with 76 red flags. Abu Azmi from SP has occupied fifth place with 74 red flags, facing charges of extortion and criminal intimidation.
Moreover, according to the site’s research, Sarvankar had topped the chart ahead of the 2009 elections as well.
“Nadgaonkar and Azmi have more or less occupied similar positions when compared to the list prepared by the portal ahead of the 2009 general assembly elections,” said a MumbaiVotes spokesperson.
The non-profit portal also claims that MNS has most number of red flags among its candidates while the Shiv Sena holds the second place in the list with the most red flags, followed by Sena’s former ally, BJP and then the NCP.
The spokesperson also claimed that there has been a constant, uniform and significant rise in number of candidates with a criminal past. According to the portal, Abu Azmi is the only candidate, convicted under sections 153 and 153 (A) ( Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language) of the IPC which attracts a maximum punishment of three years of rigorous imprisonment.
On Friday, NGO Association for Democratic Reforms had also released a report which stated that one of every three candidates contesting Assembly elections has a criminal case registered against him.
Of the 2336 affidavits analysed by them, as many as 12 candidates have cases related to murder registered against them, 44 are charged with attempt to murder.
While 42 have declared cases related to crimes against women, 27 among them have declared charges related to assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage modesty.
mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com
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