Delhi Elections: 46% of the candidates have education level between 5, 12 standards

New Delhi: As the election campaign intensifies for Delhi’s 70 assembly seats, a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Delhi Election Watch has analyzed the criminal, educational, and financial records of all 699 candidates contesting the polls. Voting is scheduled for February 5, with results to be declared on February 8.

Key findings:

Criminal background:

A total of 132 candidates (19%) have declared criminal cases against themselves.

Of these, 81 candidates (12%) face serious criminal charges.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leads in the number of candidates with criminal records, followed by Congress, while the BJP has the fewest.

Education:

46% of the candidates have studied between 5th and 12th standard.

29 candidates have declared that they can only sign using a thumb impression.

Candidate distribution:

Out of 699 candidates, 278 are from national parties, 29 from regional parties, and 254 represent unrecognised parties.

Additionally, 138 independent candidates are in the fray.

Political stakes:

Under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, AAP is aiming for a fourth consecutive term in power. The BJP is vying to regain control, while Congress seeks to end its electoral drought in the capital.