73% of Rajasthan’s new MLAs are crorepatis, 23% facing criminal cases

No 1, Rajasthan | Rajasthan qualifies as the most corrupt state from this survey with 78 percent citizens admitting to paying a bribe to get their work done. 22 percent had to pay bribes several times while 56 percent paid bribes just once or twice. 22 percent citizens reported that they did not have a need to pay a bribe. (Image: Reuters, for representational purposes)

Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot were sworn in as Rajasthan's Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively on December 17, less than a week after the Indian National Congress won the assembly elections in the state.

On December 11, Congress emerged victorious in the polls, winning 99 seats out of the 199 that went for polling. Vasundhara Raje-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finished second with 73 seats. Polling for one constituency had been postponed due to the death of a candidate.

A report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has suggested that the number of elected Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) with pending criminal cases has increased from 18 percent in 2013 to 23 percent in 2018.

The report also analyses the newly elected MLAs on the basis of financial assets, educational qualification and age. The analysis was done on the basis of declarations made by the legislators in their election affidavit.

Here’s how the new Rajasthan Legislative Assembly stacks up:

Financial assets

The number of MLAs with total financial assets of Rs 1 crore or above rose from 145 (73 percent) in 2013 to 158 (79 percent) in 2018. This is out of the 199 analysed MLAs. In the assembly that took charge in 2008, around 89 (45 percent) MLAs were crorepatis.

Out of Congress’ 99 MLAs, 82 are crorepatis. The BJP has 58 out of their 73 MLAs as crorepatis. Around 11 out of the 13 Independent MLAs and five out of the six Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLAs are crorepatis.

The number of crorepati MLAs have risen across party lines. Within these, 93 have assets between Rs 1 crore and Rs 5 crore. Another 37 MLAs have assets between Rs 5 crore and Rs 10 crore. Around 28 MLAs have total financial assets of Rs 10 crore or more.

Average assets of Congress MLAs is significantly higher than those of the BJP. Congress MLAs’ average financial assets are Rs 9.33 crore compared to Rs 5.38 crore of BJP MLAs. Independent MLAs have average assets of Rs 7.36 crore. BSP MLAs have average assets of Rs 8.70 crore.

Criminal cases

A total of 46 out of the 199 MLAs (23 percent) have declared criminal cases against themselves in the new Assembly. Out of these, 28 have serious cases related to offences such as assault, murder, kidnap and rape.

Around 25 out of Congress’ 99 MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves. As many as 12 BJP MLAs have declared criminal cases.

Among the Independents and others, seven MLAs have pending criminal cases.

Interestingly, the number of MLAs with criminal cases, 23 percent, has risen from what was 18 percent in 2013.

By gender

Out of 199 MLAs, 23 (12 percent) MLAs are women, down from 28 (14 percent) in 2013.

Age

Around three MLAs are between the ages of 25 and 30 years and 24 are between 31 and 40 years. As many as 159 MLAs are aged between 41 and 70 years, while 13 are aged 71 years and above.

Education

Around 59 out of the 199 MLAs have declared that their educational qualification to be between 5th pass and 12th pass. Around 129 MLAs declared their qualification to be ‘graduate’ or above.

As many as seven MLAs have declared themselves to be literate.

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