Only 44% candidates in Delhi are graduate: ADR

New Delhi: Out of the 672 candidates, who are fighting the Assembly elections in Delhi, only 298 (44 per cent) are graduates or above and 16 are illiterate, said a report of the Delhi Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The report, which was released on Saturday, said 340 (51 per cent) candidates have declared their educational qualification as being Class 5 – 12, while 12 candidates are diploma holders and six candidates have written ‘literate’ in their affidavits.

“There are 16 candidates who are illiterate and 11 have doctorate degrees,” the ADR said.

It also said that out of the 672 candidates, 441 (66 per cent) candidates have declared their age to be between 25 to 50 years, while 212 (32 per cent) candidates are in the age group of 51 to 70 years.

“There are 11 (two per cent) candidates who have declared their age to be between 71 to 80 years. Eight candidates have not given their age,” the ADR said.

The report said that 13 more women candidates are in the fray than in the 2015 Assembly elections.

There are 11.8 per cent women contesting the February 8 Assembly election.

“79 female candidates are contesting in the Delhi Assembly election this year. In 2015 Delhi Assembly Elections, 66 out of 673 candidates were women.”

Among the parties, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party has ninbe women candidates out of its 70 faces.

“The Congress has fielded the maximum number of women candidates — 10 among its 66 candidates, and the BJP has six women out of its 67 candidates,” the report said.

A total of 17 independent candidates fighting the polls are women.

Delhi is going to the polls on February 8 and the results will be out on February 11.

IANS