233 or 43% MPs in the new Lok Sabha have criminal charges against them, a 109% rise from 2009
According to the data released by Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), nearly half of the newly elected Lok Sabha members have criminal charges against them, which is 26% more as compared to Lob Sabha members who were elected after the 2014 General Elections.
Out of 539 members, 233 or 43% of Member of Parliaments (MPs) have criminal charges against them.
Amongst these 233 MPS having criminal charges, 116 or 39% belong to the winning party – Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). A total of 29 MPs belong to Indian National Congress (INC). Janata Dal (United), also know has JDU, has 13 MPs with criminal record. This is followed by 10 MPs and 9 MPs from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), respectively.
In 2014, there were 185 MPs with criminal charges and 112 MPs with serious criminal cases. In 2009, 162 or 30% of the MPs had criminal charges and 14% had serious criminal charges.
29% of the cases filed against 233 MPs are related to rape, murder, attempt to murder or crime against women. 11 MPs from BJP, 2 from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), 1 each from INC, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Yuvajana Sramika Raithu (YSR) Congress and an Independent candidate have murder charges against them. As compared to 2009, there has been an increase of 109% in the number of MPs with declared serious criminal.
BJP MP from Bhopal – Pragya Thakur is accused of plotting a bomb attack on Muslims in Malegaon in 2006, in which 6 people were killed. INC’s Dean Kuriakose from Idukki in Kerala has 204 criminal cases against him, including culpable homicide, house trespass, robbery and criminal intimidation.
475 or 88% MPs are reportedly crorepatis. This number was 443 or 82% in 2014 and 315 or 58% in 2009. The average value of assets held by each winning MP in the recently conducted General Elections is Rs. 20.93 crore. The average value of assets held by 301 BJP MPs is Rs. 14.52 crores. 51 MPS from INC have assets with average worth Rs. 38.71 crores. DMK’s 23 MPs, YSR Congress’s 22 MPs and TMC’s 22 MPs have assets in tune of Rs. 24.51 crores, Rs. 54.85 crores and Rs. 6.15 crores respectively.
The top 3 richest MPs are from INC. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s son – Nakul Nath, tops the list with assets more than R.s 660 crores. Holding the 2nd position is INC’s MP from – Kanyakumari Vasanthakumar H, with Rs. 417 crores of assets. D.K. Suresh from Bangalore rural has assets over Rs. 338 crores.
Talking about education, 128 or 24% 0f the MPs have declared their academic qualification to be between 5th Standard to 12th Standard. Only 194 or 36% MPs are in the age bracket of 25-50 years. As regards women empowerment, there are only 77 or 14% women MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha as compared to 62 or 11% MPs in 2014 and 59 of 11% MPs in 2009.
