The world largest democracy is to poll for its new president on 17 July, and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch report revealed that 1581 (33%) members of parliament and legislatures have declared criminal cases against themselves in a self-sworn affidavit filed with the ECI before their most recent elections.

The ADR analysed 4852 policy makers affidavits – includes 774 out of 776 affidavits of MPs (Lok Sabah and Rajya Sabha) and 4078 out of 4120 MLAs from all the states of India – 184 (34%) out of 543 Lok Sabha MPs, 44 (19%) out of 231 Rajya Sabha MPs and 1353 (33%) out of 4078 MLAs (all state assemblies / UTs) analysed have declared criminal cases against themselves.

993 (20%) members have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in a self-sworn affidavit filed with the ECI before their most recent elections. 117 (22%) out of 543 Lok Sabha MPs, 16 (7%) out of 231 Rajya Sabha MPs and 860(21%) out of 4078 MLAs (all state assemblies / UTs) analysed have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.

Votes by MPs/MLAs who have declared criminal cases: Based on the number of votes that MPs / MLAs who have declared criminal cases, are entitled to cast, a total of 367393 votes (34%) out of 1091472 votes analysed are of MPs/MLAs who have declared criminal cases against themselves.

MPs/MLAs who have declared cases related to murder: 87 out of 4852 MPs / MLAs analysed have declared cases related to murder (IPC Section – 302, 304A, 306) against themselves. Out of 543 Lok Sabha MPs, 13 MPs have declared cases related to murder against themselves. 190 out of 4852 MPs/ MLAs analysed have declared cases related to attempt to murder (IPC Section- 307). Out of 543 Lok Sabha MPs analysed, 17 MPs have declared cases related to attempt to murder. Out of 231 Rajya Sabha MPs analysed, 15 MPs have declared cases related to attempt to murder.

MPs/MLAs who have declared cases related to kidnapping: 64 out of 4852 MPs/MLAs analysed have declared cases related to kidnapping (IPC Section 360,363, 363A, 364, 364A, 365, 366) against themselves. 5 out of 543 Lok Sabha MPs have declared cases related to kidnapping against themselves.

MPs/MLAs who have declared cases of crime against women: 52 out of 4852 MPs/MLAs analysed have declared cases of crime against women such as rape, dowry death, Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty etc. (IPC Section 354, 498A, 509, 376). 2 out of 543 Lok Sabha MPs have declared cases related of crime against women against themselves.

Women Representation: Today we are more about women empowerment and in the election of President of Indian, out of the total 4852 MPs/MLAs, only 451 (9%) are women. Based on the number of votes the MPs/MLAs are entitled to vote, 109708 (10%) out of 1091472 are women votes.

Among MPs, Lok Sabha has 46020 (12%) votes out of 384444 from 65 women MPs and Rajya Sabha has 16284(10%) out of 163548 votes analysed from 23 women MPs. All State / UT assemblies combined have 51383(9%) votes out of 543480 votes from 363 women MLAs.

• Among State assemblies, Uttar Pradesh has the maximum amount of women votes with 8320 votes out of 83616(40 out of 402 MLAs) followed by West Bengal with 6191 votes out of 44243 (41 out of 293 MLAs) and Madhya Pradesh with 4192 votes out of 30130(32 out of 230 MLAs).