How hard do MPs work in the House?

Some Members of Parliament take it very easy indeed, while some slog hard, shows analysis of data compiled on MPs of the 15th Lok Sabha. The analysis showed that 10 MPs, including L K Advani and Shashi Tharoor, for instance, have a 100 per cent attendance record. Prasad Nichenametla reports.

Some Members of Parliament take it very easy indeed, while some slog hard, shows analysis of data compiled on MPs of the 15th Lok Sabha.

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The analysis showed that 10 MPs, including BJP veteran L K Advani and former minister of state for external affairs, Shashi Tharoor, for instance, have a 100 per cent attendance record.

The data was provided by PRS Legislative Research.

In contrast two MPs — Baliram Kashyap (BJP), and Kameshwar Baitha (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) — have just two per cent attendance.

Though the average attendance is a respectable 78 per cent, 168 of the 480 MPs (excluding 65 ministers who do not have to sign the register) had lower than 75 per cent attendance

What about asking questions? Curiously, right across the political spectrum, leaders of parties in India have a tradition of not deigning to ask questions.

Thus neither Sonia nor Rahul Gandhi, Mulayam Singh Yadav or his son Akhilesh Yadav, L K Advani or Lalu Prasad, has asked a single question yet.

They are among the 88 MPs in all who have refrained similarly.

In contrast, a single MP Anandrao Adusi of the Shiv Sena has asked 354 questions within a year.

The Lok Sabha average is 66.

Sixty seven is the number of MPs who never participated in any debate in the past year.

"There are many MPs who are going the extra mile to do good work by asking questions, debates. Their efforts often go unnoticed, but these are the ones who bring value to the House," said C V Madhukar, director, PRS Legislative Research.

Workers and shirkers