Every third newly elected MP has criminal background

Apart from the much discussed Adarsh Housing Society Scam, Ashok Chavan was accused of using his office to fund his relatives' bank. He denied the allegation by the Election Commission of India of having inserted favourable Paid News in newspapers. DH photo

Every third of the newly elected member of the Lok Sabha has a criminal background, an analysis of the disclosures they have made in their affidavits has shown.

An analysis of 541 of the 543 winning candidates by National Election Watch (NEW) and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) shows that 186 or 34 percent newly elected MPs have in their election affidavits disclosed criminal cases against themselves.

In 2009, 30 percent of the Lok Sabha members had criminal cases. This has now gone up by four percent.

According to the analysis, a candidate with criminal cases had 13 percent chance of winning in the 2014 Lok Sabha election whereas it was five percent for an aspirant with a clean record.

Of the 186 new members, 112 (21 percent) have declared serious criminal cases, including those related to murder, attempt to murder, causing communal disharmony, kidnapping, crimes against women etc.

Party wise, the largest numbers 98 or 35 percent of the 281 winners from the BJP have in their affidavits declared criminal cases against themselves.

Eight (18 percent) of the 44 winners from the Congress, six (16 percent) of the 37 winners from the AIADMK, 15 (83 percent) of the 18 winners from the Shiv Sena, and seven (21 percent) of the 34 winners fielded by Trinamool Congress also have disclosed criminal cases against themselves.