Cutting across political parties in the state, as many as 11 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls have criminal cases pending against them. According to the Election Watch Campaign of the Association for Democratic Rights (ADR), it puts the state on top of the list of such candidates.

In this matter, all major political parties seem to be running neck to neck. While the Samajwadi Party has Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rasheed Masood, Kunwar Reoti Raman Singh, Deepak Kumar, Ashok Kumar Singh Chandel and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the BJP has Lallu Singh and Ramakant Yadav. The Congress has Surendra Prakash Goyal and Jagdambika Pal.

The list does not have any names from the ruling BSP as it includes only the names announced till February 20.

According to the ADR, Samajwadi Party’s Mainpuri candidate and former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has cases pending against him under Sections 447, 469, 471, 109 and 120 B. These include criminal trespass, forgery, using forged document and criminal conspiracy.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, SP candidate from Kaiserganj, has cases under Sections 147, 148, 149 and 307, including rioting armed with deadly weapon, and attempt to murder.

Unnao’s Deepak Kumar has Sections like 147, 148, 149, 332, 307, 395, 188, 452, 436, 341, 504 and 506 slapped on him ¿ that includes attempt to murder, dacoity, trespass, wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation.

Former chief minister and Congress candidate from Domariyaganj, Jagdambika Pal, too, has an impressive list of pending cases.

These include cases under Sections like 426, 427, 147, 148, 295, 332, 504, 506 and defacement of Public Property Act, mischief, causing damage, rioting with deadly weapons and criminal intimidation with death threat.

The Congress candidate from Hapur, Surendra Prakash Goyal, has just four Sections against his name — 147, 148, 353 and 427 — rioting armed with deadly weapon, assault and causing damage.

The BJP’s candidate for Ayodhya, Lallu Singh, has cases under Sections 332, 338 and 201. The BJP candidate from Azamgarh, Ramakant Yadav, has over two dozen cases against him. He is a history sheeter listed among the active criminal gangs in the Eastern UP.

Founder of ADR and former dean of the IIM Ahmedabad Prof Jagdeep Chhokar said: “Political parties announce publicly that they will not field any criminals. But when it comes to selecting candidates, winnability and criminal background seem to be the only criteria.”

Commenting on the list of candidates for the state, I C Dwivedi, the state’s former DGP and coordinator