Jitendra Singh Bablu, the BSP candidate, has 25 criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, extortion against him, according to the affidavit submitted by him to the Faizabad returning officer.
Bablu's rival, Mitrasen Yadav of SP, has 36 criminal cases including murder, attempt to murder, robbery and riots against him, his affidavit said.
However, Bablu claimed that he was given clean chit by the court in eight cases while Yadav claimed that he was declared not guilty by the court in twelve cases.
Among the major crimes he has been accused of, Bablu was charged with torching the then state Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi's house in 2010.
Mitrasen's younger son, Anand Sen, who was minister in Mayawati government, was accused of murdering a law student Shashi, while he was minister in 2007, but was later acquitted by the High Court.