65% of MLAs have criminal cases, says ADR

65% of Maharashtra's new MLAs have criminal cases pending; 277 are crorepatis, with average assets rising to ₹43.42 crore, reveals a report.

MUMBAI: The face of Maharashtra’s 15th legislative assembly hides a dark reality – as many as 65% of the newly elected MLAs, that is, 187 of them, have criminal cases pending against them. Of these, three MLAs face murder charges and 11 have cases of attempt to murder pending. Ten MLAs have been charged with crimes against women, including one charged with rape, according to the latest report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms.

65% of MLAs have criminal cases, says ADR

The report reveals that 277 MLAs of the 288 elected are crorepatis, with the average assets of the winning candidates being ₹43.42 crore, against the average ₹22.42 crore in 2019.

MLAs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are wealthier than those from other parties, with their average assets being ₹59.82 crore. NCP (SP) MLAs came in second, at ₹51.31 crore, followed by 16 Congress MLAs with an average ₹43.91 crore each. Shiv Sena MLAs are worth an average ₹30.61 crore each. In comparison, the 20 Sena (UBT) MLAs fared poorly, at just ₹10.43 crore, on average.

According to the report, 163 MLAs have assets worth over ₹10 crore, while 63 have assets worth between ₹5 crore and ₹10 crore, each. In addition, 50 MLAs are worth ₹1 crore and ₹5 crore. Only 1 MLA is worth less than ₹20 lakh, according to the report, released on Tuesday.

Interestingly, for the 183 MLAs re-elected, the rate at which their assets rose was a whopping 108%, up from ₹27.28 crore in 2019, to ₹56.81 crore now.

The report also revealed that 75 MLAs are senior citizens, aged between 61 and 80, while 24 are in the 25-40 age group. Also, 37%, or 105 MLAs, have studied between the 5th and 12th Std, while 58%, or 165 MLAs, are graduates and more.