The report highlights that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tops the list with 54 cases related to crimes against women...
Digital Desk: A recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) has revealed that 151 sitting MPs and MLAs have declared cases related to crimes against women in their election affidavits. This report, released on Wednesday, analyzed five years of data from 4,693 MPs and MLAs, covering elections held between 2019 and 2024. According to the findings, 16 of these cases involve sitting MPs, while the remaining 135 are sitting MLAs.
The report highlights that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tops the list with 54 cases related to crimes against women, followed by Congress with 23, and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 17. West Bengal leads the states with the highest number of sitting MPs and MLAs facing such charges, totaling 25, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 21, and Odisha with 17.
Notably, 16 of the 151 cases involve charges of rape, with two sitting MPs and 14 sitting MLAs implicated. This data comes in the wake of a 2020 Supreme Court mandate requiring political parties to publicly justify the nomination of candidates with criminal cases.
The ADR has strongly recommended that candidates with criminal backgrounds be barred from contesting elections. Furthermore, they advocate for fast-tracking court cases against MPs and MLAs, with police investigations monitored by the courts. The report also urges voters to avoid electing candidates who have declared cases related to crimes against women and other serious offenses, emphasising the importance of integrity in political leadership.
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