We May Dream Of Clean Politics, But In Reality43% Of New MPs Have Criminal Cases Against Them, Including Rape & Murder

Out of 539 newly-elected Lok Sabha Members of Parliament, close to 50 per cent have criminal charges against them. It is a staggering 20 per cent increase as compared to 2014, according to Association of Democratic Reforms.

As many as 233 MPs or 43 per cent have criminal charges.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 116 MPs or 39 per cent of its winning candidates with criminal cases, followed by 29 MPs (57 per cent) from the Congress, 13 (81 per cent) from the JDU, 10 (43 per cent) from the DMK and nine (41 per cent) from the TMC, the ADR said.

Most of the MPs with criminal charges have cases of rape, murder, attempt to murder or crimes against women registered against them.

BCCL

In 2014, 135 MPs (34 per cent) had criminal charges against them. In 2009, 162 (nearly 30 per cent) out of the 543 Lok Sabha MPs had criminal charges and 14 per cent had serious criminal charges.

Eleven winners, including five from BJP, two from BSP, and one each from Congress and YSR Congress Party, and an Independent have murder charges against them.

AFP

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP MP elected from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh is a 2008 Malegaon Blast accused. The BJP faced acute criticism after they fielded her against Congress¡¯ Digvijay Singh. Thakur also went on to praise Gandhi¡¯s assassin Nathuram Godse calling him a 'patriot', and even claimed that she helped demolish Babri Masjid in 1992.

Dean Kuriakose from the Congress, who won from the Idukki constituency in Kerala, has 204 criminal cases against him.