The Congress has announced its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh [Images]. The National Election Watch, a nationalwide campaign working on electoral reforms says that out of the 24 candidates announced as part of the first list, four have criminal records.

However with the initial list available, the Samajwadi Party tops the list as of now with 6 candidates with a criminal history and pending criminal cases. The Congress is second with 4 while the Bharatiya Janata Party [Images] is at third with 3 such tainted candidates.

The criminal charges include criminal intimidation with death threat and assaulting public servants.

Commenting on the list of candidates for Uttar Pradesh, Mr I C Dwivedi, former Director General of Police of UP and coordinator of UP chapter of NEW, said, "The presence of politicians with criminal background has always been high in Uttar Pradesh and has reached to such an extent that both the legislative assembly and the parliament are unable to function because of these elements. The indiscipline in the Houses has reached new heights as can be seen from recent UP assembly and Parliaments sessions and we must ensure that only clean and capable candidates are elected to Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly."

List of tainted candidates as per the released first list

Congress candidates in Uttar Pradesh

Raj Babbar, Fatepur Sikhri, Rioting, unlawful assembly and assaulting public servant

Surendra Prakash Goyal, Bansgaon, rioting and causing damage to public property

Jagdambika Pal, Dumariyaganj, Mischief, rioting, defacing a place of worship

Ratna Singh, Pratapgarh, offences under The Representation of Peoples' Act

BJP candidates

Ramakant Yadav, Azamgarh, criminal intimidation and assault

Bhanu Pratap Singh Varma, Jalaun, providing false information

Lallu Singh, Ayodhya, causing hurt, destruction of evidence, dacoity

Samajwadi Party

Mulayam Singh Yadav [Images], Mainpuri, criminal trespass, forgery, criminal conspiracy

Rashee D Masood,  Sahranpur, substantive offence under the PC Act

Kunwar Rewati Raman Singh, Allahabad, rioting, criminal trespass and intimidation

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Khaisergunj, rioting and attempt to murder

Deepak Kumar, Unnao, rioting, attempt to murder, dacoity, wrongful restraint

Ashok Kumar Singh Chandel, rioting, attempt to murder,