Background check: every third new MLA faces criminal cases

More than half of them are crorepatis, ADR analysis shows

GN Bureau | May 20, 2016


#Assam   #Kerala   #West Bengal   #Tamil Nadu   #assembly elections   #Politics   #Puducherry   #crime   #ADR  


As many as 36 percent Thursday’s winners – that is, 294 fresh MLAs across five states from the 812 whose affidavits were analyses – have self-declared criminal cases pending against them, says the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW).

As many as 176 of them faces serious charges, like those of murder and attempt to murder charges.

While Kerala has the maximum percentage (62%) of MLAs with declared criminal cases against them, it is West Bengal that has the maximum proportion (32%) of MLAs with declared serious criminal cases against them.

ADR, a nationwide campaign comprising more than 1,200 NGOs and other citizen-led organisations, has been working on electoral reforms, improving democracy and governance in India. NEW groups in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry analysed the affidavits of 812 MLAs elected in the latest elections. Ten MLAs were not part of the analysis – nine from Tamil Nadu, whose affidavits available in public domain were badly scanned, and one from West Bengal whose affidavit was not legible. Polls have been postponed in two constituencies in Tamil Nadu.

Among other findings about the new legislators:

* A total of 428 MLAs (53% of the total analyzed) are crorepatis.

* Puducherry has the maximum percentage (83%) of crorepati MLAs, followed by Tamil Nadu (76%).

* A total of 186 MLAs (23%) have declared that they have never filed income tax returns.

* Kerala has the maximum percentage (60%) of MLAs who have not filed income tax returns, followed by West Bengal (20%).

* 49 MLAs have not even given their PAN details.

* Puducherry has the highest average assets (Rs 13.45 crore) of MLAs followed by Tamil Nadu (Rs 8.21 crore) and Kerala (Rs 2.82 crore).

* Only 9% of the new MLAs are women. West Bengal has 40 out of 293 (14%) women MLAs, followed by Puducherry with 4 of 30 (13%).

* There are 19 MLAs with PhD – ten in West Bengal, and five in Tamil Nadu.

* 11% of the MLAs are in the age group of 40 years and below.

* 5 MLAs are above 80 years of age.

 
See full reports on each state
 

Comments

 

Other News

Citizens of the Bay: Why BIMSTEC matters now

The international order is drifting into a dangerous grey zone as the very powers that built today`s multilateral system begin to chip away at it. The United States has increasingly walked away from global rules and forums when they no longer suit its interests, while China has rushed to fill the vacuum on

PM salutes armed forces on one year of Operation Sindoor

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday saluted the courage, precision and resolve of the armed forces on the completion of one year of Operation Sindoor.   The PM said that the armed forces had given a fitting response to those who dared to attack innocent Indians at Pahalgam.&

Supreme Court judge strength to go up by four to 37

The strength of the Supreme Court is set to go up from 33 judges to 37 judges, paving the way for a more efficient and speedier justice. The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal for introducing The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament to amend The Sup

BJP set to capture West Bengal

The political map of the country is set to be redrawn with the BJP set to win the West Bengal assembly elections, apart from Assam and the union territory of Puducherry. In Kerala, meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF is set to regain power. The filmstar Vijay-led TVK has emerged as the front-runner in Tamil Na

Beyond LPG: Is PNG ready for India’s next cooking fuel transition?

India, the second-largest importer and consumer of LPG after China, faces growing pressure due to supply constraints. Most of India`s LPG imports transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a focal point of global turmoil. Given that LPG forms the backbone of household kitchens and the restaurant industry, any s

Maharashtra adopts hybrid model for Census 2026 data collection

The government has initiated preparations for Census 2026 in Maharashtra, introducing a hybrid approach that combines optional self-enumeration with comprehensive door-to-door data collection to ensure complete coverage across the state.   According to senior officials, the Self-


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter