Patna, Nov 2: As many as 254 candidates, whose fate will be decided in final phase of Bihar Assembly polls scheduled on Nov 5, face criminal charges.
Out of 827, 58% of the candidates fielded by Congress have criminal cases pending against them followed by BJP with 55% and JDU & RJD 50%.
Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) that studied the affidavits revealed that 11 (55%) out of 20 Communist Party of India (CPI) candidates, 16 (29%) out of 55 Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidates, 12 (46%) out of 26 Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates, 21 (53%) out of 40 candidates of Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik), 12 (52%) out of 23 candidates of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)(Liberation), nine (69%) out of 13 candidates of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and 55 (21%) out of 262 Independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
Meanwhile, the fourth phase of the state assembly elections ended on Sunday with about 58% of the total electorate in 55 constituencies casting their ballots in a peaceful manner barring few stray incidents.