General Elections 2019: Get to know your candidates contesting in Phase 7

With a total of seven states and one Union territory going to the polls, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal will see voter action in some areas, while Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Chandigarh will vote entirely in this last phase. The counting of the votes and declaration of results is then scheduled for the same day - May 23rd. But knowing whom you are voting for is as important as voting itself. So, before you head out to vote, here are some highlights on your candidate’s educational backgrounds, finances, and the gender gap in this final phase.   Show me the money!  31% of the total candidates or 278 contenders have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore. Among the major parties 40(89%) out of 45 candidates from INC, 36(84%) out of 43 candidates from BJP, 11(28%) out of 39 candidates from BSP, 9(64%) out of 14 candidates from AAP and 59(19%) out of 313 independent candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs. 1 crore. Heading the list of crorepatis in Phase 7 is Ramesh Kumar Sharma contesting from Pataliputra, Bihar. Sukhbir Singh Badal contesting from Firozpur and Punjab and Harsimrat Kaur Badal from Bathinda, Punjab come in at a close second and third. Kaun hai crorepati?  From the major parties in this year’s elections, the average assets per candidate stood at a cracking 4.61 crore with only 10% falling below the 2 to 5 crore mark and a whopping 22% in the 50k to 2 crore range. How’s that for some serious number crunching?      Gender, Age, Education Comparison    When compared to phase 6, this phase sees the number of women candidates contesting go up a bit. 11% of the total candidates this time around are women. The total number of women candidates contesting in this next phase stands at 96 versus 812 men and 1 from the Third Gender. What is encouraging to learn also is that 48% of the candidates in this round of voting have a ‘graduate or above’ level of education while the barely literate and literate percentages both stand at 3%. Criminal Past  While 918 candidates have criminal cases against them in this phase of the Lok Sabha polls, a disturbing 12 have declared severe charges of murder with 34 adding, “attempt to murder” to their inglorious records.  At the time of nomination a shocking total of 170 of the 909 candidates contesting declared criminal cases against themselves. As with the other phases, this seventh and the last phase of polls is also crucial to the future of the country. The fervent hope remains that people come out to vote in record-breaking numbers and make their voice heard. Button Dabao Desh Banao is a Network18 initiative, presented by RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, urging every Indian to VOTE in the ongoing general elections. Follow the conversation on social media using the hashtag #ButtonDabaoDeshBanao. This is a partnered post.