Crime and money power runs deep in India’s new Lok Sabha

As galore arsenic 250 (46%) of the 542 newly-elected members of Parliament (MPs) had declared transgression cases against them astatine the clip of filing their nominations, information from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) showed. (Congress’ Rahul Gandhi was elected to 2 seats, and has been counted once.) Around 31% look ‘serious’ transgression charges. Both figures people a tiny deterioration since the 2019 cohort of MPs.

The BJP had 63 MPs who look superior transgression cases, the highest for immoderate party. But that’s evident fixed the party’s immense spot successful the Parliament. Seen successful percent terms, this was 26% of each BJP MPs. The 2 biggest parties of the Opposition INDIA bloc—the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP)—had a greater stock of enactment MPs facing superior cases: 33% and 46%, respectively.

Facing a transgression lawsuit does not connote criminality oregon conviction, since politicians often look bogus cases arsenic well. That said, aggregated figures connected superior cases bash assistance measure wide nexus betwixt authorities and transgression successful an elected legislature. ‘Serious’ cases see offences specified arsenic murder, effort to murder, crimes against women.

What follows is based connected a Mint investigation of individual-level information sourced from ADR, which compiles the accusation from each candidate’s information affidavit successful each election.

Troubled lawmakers

A state-wise investigation further revealed that the caller MPs facing transgression cases beryllium lone to 22 of the 36 states and Union territories: determination are nary from the different 14 (which includes the 7 north-eastern states and Uttarakhand among large states). Eleven states witnessed an summation successful the fig of specified Lok Sabha members, portion 7 saw a decrease.

Odisha was among the states that saw the highest summation successful elected MPs facing transgression charges. In 2019, the authorities sent conscionable six specified MPs, portion this time, determination are 16. This coincides with the BJP gaining crushed successful the eastbound state, and the Biju Janata Dal losing strength. Bihar, with 22 elected Lok Sabha members facing cases, saw the biggest diminution from 2019, erstwhile it had 35 specified MPs.

States specified arsenic Kerala (95%) and Telangana (82%) had among the highest shares of parliamentary seats occupied by MPs facing astatine slightest 1 transgression case.

Wealthy victors

Politicians with transgression backgrounds are not the lone concern, arsenic determination is simply a simultaneous increasing power of wealth powerfulness successful the lawmaking system. A constituency-wise investigation of the assets owned by winners and their contiguous opponents (runners-up) showed that a majority, implicit 54%, of Indian constituencies elected a wealthier candidate. While voters whitethorn not take wealth, past Plain Facts analyses person shown that wealthier candidates person a amended changeable astatine winning—possibly due to the fact that they tin mobilize stronger campaigns.

The investigation covered 541 of the 543 seats, and excludes Surat (which had lone 1 candidate), Indore (where the ‘none of the above’ enactment was the runner-up).

MPs from arsenic galore arsenic 504 retired of these 541 seats had assets of ₹1 crore oregon more, with 30 of them declaring full assets worthy ₹100 crore oregon more. Fifteen of these 30 MPs were from the BJP, and 3 each from Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Rich representatives

The median size of the assets of astir each parties’ MPs has accrued implicit the past 5 years. Among large parties, the MPs of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) continued to person the highest median assets: astir ₹16 crore, up from ₹13.4 crore successful 2019.

The BJP’s MPs saw an summation of 1.6 times successful median assets ( ₹7.4 crore), portion those of the Congress accrued conscionable 10%, to ₹8.5 crore. Samajwadi Party MPs had higher median assets than those of the BJP.

Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani of TDP, who won the Guntur parliamentary seat, declared the highest full plus worthy of implicit ₹5,705 crore, followed by Konda Vishweshwar Reddy of the BJP (Chevella seat), who has assets worthy implicit ₹4,500 crore. Most candidates state assets they ain unneurotic with their spouses.

As India continues to grapple with issues of corruption, transgression politicians and a increasing power of money, the latest 2024 predetermination results service arsenic a wake-up telephone for Indian voters.