44% of sitting Lok Sabha MPs booked in criminal cases: Report

Of the 514 sittings MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha, at least 225 have declared their involvement in criminal cases, the non-governmental organisation Association of Democratic Reforms said in a report on Friday. That is 44% of the total number of sitting legislators.

The report – “Analysis of Criminal Background, Financial, Education, Gender and other details of Sitting MPs in Lok Sabha Elections 2019” – analysed the self-sworn affidavits of the 514 MPs that were submitted prior to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and bye-polls conducted afterward.

“One MP namely Devendra Singh [BJP] contesting from Akbarpur Constituency has not been analysed as his affidavit was badly scanned and 28 seats are vacant,” the report clarified.

Out of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s 294 sitting MPs, 118 or 40% have criminal cases against them, while 57% of sitting Congress MPs, or 26 out of 46, have been booked in criminal cases. In the Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam, 46%, or 11 out of 24 sitting MPs, have been named in criminal cases.

Eight out of 19 sitting MPs from the Trinamool Congress have criminal cases against them, while for the Janata Dal (United) the number stands at 12 of the party’s 16 MPs. Eight out of 17 sitting MPs fielded by the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress...

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