Almost 50% MPs In Lok Sabha Have Criminal Records, A 44% Increase From 2009

We’re all aware that Pragya Thakur, who won the Bhopal seat in the recent elections, has a bevy of criminal charges against her, including being an accused in the 2006 Malegaon blast case. However, a large number of other winners are also facing charges, some extremely serious.

Among the 539 winners analysed in the 17th Lok Sabha, 233 have declared criminal cases against them.

This means nearly 50 percent of the MPs in the new Lok Sabha have criminal records.

According to India Today, this is an increase of 44 percent in the number of MPs with criminal cases against them since 2009. In effect, the chances of a candidate with declared criminal cases winning is 15.5 percent, while a candidate with a clean background has a 4.7 percent chance.

Congress MP Dean Kuriakose from Idukki constituency in Kerala has a massive 204 criminal cases against himself, including cases related to committing culpable homicide, house trespass, robbery, and criminal intimidation.

34 percent of the winners in the 2014 elections had declared criminal cases against them, while the number stood at 30 percent in 2009.

This year, 43 percent of the winners have declared criminal cases, with 29 percent of them having serious cases related to rape, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and crimes against women.

10 MPs have declared convicted cases against them, 11 MPs have declared cases related to murder, and 30 winners have declared cases of attempt to murder. 19 MPs have declared cases related to crimes against women, out of whom three have declared cases related to rape and six have declared cases related to kidnappings.

13 (81 percent) out of 16 winners from JD(U), 29 (57 percent) out of 51 winners from INC, 10 (43 percent) out of 23 winners from DMK, 9 (41 percent) out of 22 winners from AITC and 116 (39 per cent) out of 301 winners from the BJP have declared criminal cases against themselves.

87 (29 percent) out of 301 winners from the BJP, 19 (37 percent) out of 51 winners from INC, 6 (26 percent) out of 23 winners from DMK, 4(18 percent) out of 22 winners fielded by AITC and 8 (50 percent) out of 16 winners from JD(U) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.