Amritsar: 19% of 116 candidates in fray have criminal antecedents

Tribune News Service

Manmeet Singh Gill

Amritsar, February 9

Of the 116 candidates contesting elections from the 11 Assembly segments in the district, at least 23 have mentioned one or more criminal cases that have been registered against them in the affidavits filed with the Election Commission. As such, around 19 per cent of the candidates have criminal antecedents.

The percentage of candidates with criminal antecedents, however, is slightly less than the overall in the state, where 306 of the total 1,271 have mentioned criminal cases. A total of 24 per cent candidates in the 117 Assembly segments of the state have criminal antecedents.

As far as different political parties are concerned, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have highest number of five candidates each with criminal cases registered against them. Simranjit Singh Mann-led SAD (Amritsar) and Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) share the runner-up position with four candidates each having cases registered against them. Besides three Independent candidates, the Congress and the BJP, too, have one candidate each with cases pending against them.

Of the candidates with serious charges, Jasmeet Singh Randhawa, an Independent from Majitha segment, has four cases — two for attempt to murder, one for assault and one for trespassing. Next in the line are Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal of AAP from the Ajnala constituency, who has a case under Section 302 of the IPC; Gurnam Singh Daud (Jandiala seat); and Charanjit Singh (Ajnala) (both of SSM) with a case under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC and Navjot Singh Sidhu (Amritsar East) with a case under Section 304 A (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC. As per Dhaliwal’s affidavit, his arrest has been stayed by the High Court.

Three candidates — Sukjinder Singh Lalli (Majitha) of AAP, Bikram Singh Majitha of SAD (Amritsar East) and Jeevan Jyot Kaur of AAP (Amritsar East) — have cheque-bounce cases against them. Constituency wise, Amritsar East has the highest number of five candidates with criminal cases.

Other prominent candidates who have cases against them include Anil Joshi (Representatives of Peoples’ Act, Talbir Singh Gill (violation of Covid guidelines and causing hurt) and Inderbir Singh Nijjer (Section 420 of the IPC and others). Most of the other candidates have cases registered for violation of Epidemic Diseases Act, Disaster Management Act and disobeying government orders.

Make an informed choice

With so many criminal cases being registered against politicians, the ECI has taken a number of measures this time to make the electorate aware of the antecedents of those contesting, so that they can make an informed choice. The ECI has launched a KYC mobile application, so that voters can know about the candidates. The candidates have to reveal the criminal cases registered against them. Failing to do so, they are liable to face action, if an objection is filed by anyone.

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