New Delhi
In the recently declared Lok Sabha election results, two candidates facing rape charges emerged victorious. Saumitra Khan of the BJP secured a win in West Bengal’s Bishnupur constituency by a margin of 5,567 votes, while Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao won in Telangana’s Medak by a substantial margin of 39,139 votes.
Alongside these candidates, several others with serious criminal charges, such as attempted murder and hate speech, also clinched victories. Shantanu Thakur of the BJP, who won in West Bengal’s Bangaon, faces charges related to attempted murder and promoting enmity between communities. Dulu Mahato, another BJP victor from Jharkhand’s Dhanbad, is embroiled in 22 serious cases, including criminal intimidation and attempted murder. Sukanta Majumdar, the BJP’s West Bengal unit chief who retained his Balurghat seat, has 30 serious cases against him. According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a poll rights body, 1,643 candidates in total have criminal cases registered against them.
Among these, Kamlesh Paswan, who secured victory from Uttar Pradesh’s Bansgaon constituency on a BJP ticket, faces 16 serious cases, including attempted murder. Similarly, Rambhual Nishad of the Samajwadi Party, who defeated BJP’s Maneka Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur, is entangled in 12 serious cases. This election saw approximately 20% of candidates facing criminal charges, marking a slight increase from previous elections: 19% in 2019, 17% in 2014, and 15% in 2009.
