The honorable people of the country are shocked by a recent news report that sheds light on the number of MLAs accused of serious crimes such as murder, rape, and kidnapping. In Indian politics, it has become common for leaders to have a criminal background, leading to the assumption that principled individuals can’t engage in politics. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) conducted an analysis, revealing that approximately 44% of legislators in state legislatures across the country have declared criminal cases against themselves.
The ADR report examined 4001 MLAs out of a total of 4033 in 28 State Assemblies and two Union Territories. Kerala stands out with the highest percentage of MLAs (70%) who have declared criminal cases against themselves.
Shocking Revelation: MLAs Accused of Serious Crimes – Murder, Rape, and Kidnapping
This analysis was conducted by ADR and National Election Watch (NEW), examining the affidavits filed by sitting MLAs in State Assemblies and Union Territories. ADR found that around 28% of the analyzed MLAs (1,136 in total) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves, including charges related to murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and crimes against women.
The ADR report highlights the states with the highest number of tainted MLAs. In Kerala, 95 out of 135 MLAs (70%) face criminal cases, followed by Bihar with 161 out of 242 MLAs (67%) and Delhi with 44 out of 70 MLAs (63%). Maharashtra, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu also have a significant percentage of MLAs facing criminal charges. These MLAs have disclosed information about the cases registered against them in their affidavits.
ADR Report: High Percentage of MLAs with Criminal Cases – Kerala Tops the List
The report further reveals that 37 out of 70 MLAs in Delhi (53%), 122 out of 242 MLAs in Bihar (50%), 114 out of 284 MLAs in Maharashtra (40%), 31 out of 79 MLAs in Jharkhand (39%), 46 out of 118 MLAs in Telangana (39%), and 155 out of 403 MLAs in Uttar Pradesh (38%) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
Moreover, the report presents disturbing statistics related to crimes against women, with 114 MLAs accused of crimes against women. Among them, 14 MLAs face charges of rape (IPC Section-376).
Serious Criminal Cases Declared by 28% of Analyzed MLAs
The ADR report also investigates the assets of MLAs, revealing that the average assets per MLA in state assemblies amount to Rs 13.63 crore. However, MLAs with declared criminal cases have higher average assets (Rs 16.36 crore) compared to MLAs without criminal cases (Rs 11.45 crore). Additionally, 88 MLAs (around 2%) in the analysis are billionaires, with assets exceeding Rs 100 crore. Karnataka leads in this aspect, with 32 out of 223 MLAs (14%) being billionaires.
