Data: 23% of MLAs in Rajasthan and 61% in Telangana Have Criminal Backgrounds

Analyses have been conducted by the ADR in collaboration with Rajasthan Election Watch and Telangana Election Watch.

Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), in collaboration with Rajasthan Election Watch and Telangana Election Watch, have analysed the criminal background details of 199 out of 200 sitting MLAs and 118 out of 119 sitting MLAs respectively.

The analyses are based on the affidavits submitted by the candidates prior to the 2018 Assembly elections and by-elections conducted thereafter.

Rajasthan

Out of 199 sitting MLAs analysed, 46 (23 percent) sitting MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves, and 28 (14 percent) of them have declared serious criminal cases.

One sitting MLA has declared cases related to murder (IPC section 302).

Four have declared cases related to attempt to murder (IPC section 307).

Here is the party-wise breakup for sitting MLAs with criminal cases:

Congress: 27 (25 percent) out of 108 MLAs

Bharatiya Janata Party: 11 (16 percent) out of 69 MLAs

Communist Party of India (Marxist): Two (100 percent) out of two MLAs

Independent: Six (43 percent) out of 14 MLAs

Telangana

Out of the 118 sitting MLAs analysed, 72 (61 percent) sitting MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves, and 46 (39 percent) of them have declared serious criminal cases.

Seven of them have declared cases related to attempt to murder (IPC section 307).

Additionally, four sitting MLAs have declared cases related to crimes against women, and of these four, one of them had a declared case related to rape.

Here is the party-wise breakup for sitting MLAs with criminal cases:

Bharat Rashtra Samithi: 59 (58%) out of 101 MLAs

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen: Six (86%) out of seven MLAs

Congress: Four (67%) out of six MLAs

Bharatiya Janata Party: Two (100%) out of two MLAs

Independent: One (50 percent) out of two