About 50% of newly elected MPs face criminal cases, highest so far: ADR

As many as 251 (46 percent) of the 543 newly elected Lok Sabha members have criminal cases registered against them and 27 of them have been convicted, according to an analysis by poll rights body Association of Democratic Reforms.

IMAGE: Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva (5th from left) and party leader Arvinder Singh Lovely (right) with newly elected party MPs Bansuri Swaraj (left), Praveen Khandelwal (2nd from left), Yogender Chandolia (3rd from left), Ramvir Singh Bidhuri (4th from left), Manoj Tiwari (4th from right), Kamaljeet Sehrawat (3rd from right) and Harsh Malhotra (2nd from right) during the celebrations after their victory in the Lok Sabha elections, at the party office, in New Delhi, June 5, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

This is the highest number of candidates facing criminal charges to be elected to the Lower House.

A total of 233 MPs (43 percent) had declared criminal cases against themselves, 185 (34 percent) in 2014, 162 (30 percent) in 2009 and 125 (23 percent) in 2004.

According to the analysis, there has been a 55 percent increase in the number of MPs with declared criminal cases since 2009.

Of the 251 winning candidates this year, 170 (31 percent) face serious criminal cases, including rape, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and crimes against women.

This is also an increase from 159 (29 percent) MPs in 2019, 112 (21 percent) MPs in 2014, and 76 (14 percent) MPs in 2009, the analysis showed.

There has been a 124 percent increase in the number of MPs with declared serious criminal cases since 2009, it said.

The analysis also highlights specific cases among the winning candidates.

While 27 winning candidates have declared they have been convicted in criminal cases, four declared cases related to murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, and 27 declared cases related to attempt to murder under Section 307 of the IPC.

Fifteen winning candidates have declared cases related to crimes against women, including two facing charges of rape under IPC Section 376.

Additionally, four winning candidates have declared cases related to kidnapping and 43 have declared cases related to hate speech.

The chances of winning for a candidate with declared criminal cases in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections stood at 15.3 per cent, compared to just 4.4 percent for candidates with a clean background, the analysis found.

Of the 240 winning candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which emerged as the largest party in the 18th Lok Sabha, 94 (39 percent) have declared criminal cases, according to the ADR.

Forty-nine (49 percent) of the Congress' 99 winning candidates have declared criminal cases and 21 (45 percent) of the Samajwadi Party's 37 candidates face criminal charges.

Thirteen (45 percent) of the Trinamool Congress' 29, 13 (59 percent) of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's 22, eight (50 percent) of the Telugu Desam Party's 16, and five (71 percent) of the Shiv Sena's seven winning candidates have declared criminal cases.

Sixty-three (26 percent) BJP candidates, 32 (32 percent) Congress candidates and 17 (46 percent) SP candidates have declared serious criminal cases, the analysis found.

Seven (24 percent) TMC candidates, six (27 percent) DMK candidates, five (31 percent) TDP candidates, and four (57 percent) Shiv Sena candidates face serious criminal cases, it stated.

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