Bengal has most criminal MLAs; TN most crorepatis

The elections for five assemblies are over and the results are out. As the new governments get ready to take their place and commence their five year term, Vicky Nanjappa compiles a report on nature of the MLAs these governments will have.

The West Bengal assembly tops the list of criminal candidates and it has 102 such MLAs. Most of these MLAs have criminal serious charges pending against them.

Among the other three assemblies -- Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Assam -- which have been analysed by the National  Election Watch, the richest assembly is (without a doubt) Tamil Nadu. The report on Kerala assembly is still awaited.

It has 120 crorepati candidates in the assembly. The one with  the least number of crorepatis is Puducherry with 19 such candidates.

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In Assam, 13 MLAs i.e. 10 per cent (out of 126 analysed) in the new assembly have criminal cases pending against them as per their own declarations. 

Eight MLAs out of these 13 analysed have declared serious IPC charges like kidnapping and extortion against them. This is an increase from the 2006 assembly where the number of MLAs with criminal cases pending was seven.

All the major parties in Assam have MLAs with pending criminal cases against them. The All India United Democratic Front has six MLAs out the 18 analysed (33 per cent), Congress has four out of 78 analysed (5 per cent), while Trinamool Congress, Asom Gana Parishad and Bharatiya Janata Party have one MLA each out of one, ten and five MLAs analysed respectively, with pending criminal cases.

A total of 47 MLAs (i.e. 37 per cent of the total MLAs analysed) are crorepatis.

In Puducherry, nine MLAs i.e. 30 per cent (out of 30 analysed) in the new assembly have criminal cases pending against them as per their own declarations.

Two MLAs out of these nine have declared serious IPC charges, like voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and obscene acts and songs, against them.

All major parties have MLAs with pending criminal cases against them. All India NR Congress has five (33 per cent) MLAs out of 15 MLAs analysed, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has three out of five analyzed (60 per cent) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has one (50 per cent) out of two MLAs analysed with pending criminal cases.

19 MLAs (i.e. 63 per cent of the total MLAs analysed) are crorepatis.

In Tamil Nadu, 66 MLAs i.e. 29 per cent (out of 231 analysed) in the new assembly have criminal cases pending against them as per their own declarations.

36 MLAs out of these 66 analysed have declared serious IPC charges like murder, attempt to murder, robbery, extortion etc. against them.

All major parties have MLAs with pending criminal cases against them. AIADMK has 46 (31 per cent) MLAs out 147 MLAs analysed, DMK has 7 (30 per cent) out of 23 analysed, Communist Party of India-Marxist has 3 (30 per cent) out of 10 analysed and Pattali Makkal Katchi has two (67 per cent) out of three MLAs analysed with pending criminal cases.

A total of 120 MLAs (i.e. 52 per cent of the total MLAs analysed) are crorepatis.

In West Bengal, 102 MLAs i.e. 35 per cent (out of 293 analysed) in the next assembly have pending criminal cases as per their own declarations.

75 MLAs out of these 102 analysed have declared serious IPC charges like murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and theft against them.

All major parties have MLAs with pending criminal cases. Trinamool Congress has 69 MLAs out of 183 analysed (38 per cent), Congress has 17 out of 42 (41 per cent) and CPI-M has 7 out of 40 (18 per cent) MLAs analysed with pending criminal cases.

47 MLAs (i.e. 16 per cent of the total MLAs analysed) are crorepatis.

The United Democratic Front tops the list of parties with 40 of the 72 analysed having criminal records and the Congress comes a close second with 38 analysed (61%) falling in this category. Among the 68 Left Democratic Front MLAs that were analysed 27 have pending criminal cases against them.

The Indian Union Muslim League has 8 tainted MLAs (40%) of the 20 analaysed, while the Communist Party of India has five such MLAs out of the 13 questioned. The candidate with the most number of criminal charges in this list is C Divakaran of the CPI followed by Anwar Sadath of the Congress.

A total of 35 MLAs (ie 25% of the total MLAs analysed) are crorepatis. UDF has 30 (42%) crorepati MLAs while LDF has five (7%) crorepati MLAs. Thomas Chandy is the richest MLA in Kerala with assets to the tune of Rs 45 crore and Manjalamakuzhi Ali of the Muslim League appears second on the list assets worth Rs 14 crore.

Ranked third is Muraleedharan of the Congress and his assets are valued at Rs 10 crore. He is followed by Revolutionary Socialist Party's Shibu Baby John who has Rs 8 crore in assets.