When it comes to crime, women are nowhere behind. A shocking 143 (28%) of the 512 Women MPs/MLAs in country have declared criminal cases against themselves. Of the same, 24 women MPs (32%) out of 75 Lok Sabha Women MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha, 10 (27%) out of 37 Rajya Sabha Women MPs and 109 (27%) out of 400 Women MLAs (all state assemblies/UTs) have declared criminal cases against themselves.
As per an analysis report of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW), out of 512 Women MPs/MLAs affidavits analyzed, 78 (15%) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves. Of these 14 (19%) are in Lok Sabha, 7 (19%) are in Rajya Sabha besides 57 (14%) out of 400 Women MLAs re present in different state assemblies/UTs.
State-wise, Goa has the Highest Percentage of Sitting Women MPs/MLAs with criminal cases against their names including 2 (67%) out of 3 women MPs/MLAs, 8 (67%) out of 12 women MPs/MLAs from Telangana have second highest count of such women representatives, 14 (58%) out of 24 women MPs/MLAs from Andhra Pradesh, 7 (50%) out of 14 women MPs/MLAs from Punjab, 7 (50%) out of 14 women MPs/MLAs from Kerala and 15 (43%) out of 35 women MPs/MLAs from Bihar have declared criminal cases against themselves in their self‐sworn affidavits.
States with maximum of sitting women MPs/MLAs with serious criminal cases include Telangana having 5 (42%) out of 12 women MPs/MLAs, Andhra Pradesh having 9 (38%) out of 24 women MPs/MLAs, Goa having 1 (33%) out of 3 women MPs/MLAs having serious criminal cases, Bihar having 9 (26%) out of 35 women MPs/MLAs, Meghalaya having 1 (25%) out of 4 women MPs/MLAs, Punjab having 3 (21%) out of 14 women MPs/MLAs and Kerala having 3 (21%) out of 14 women MPs/MLAs with declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their self‐sworn affidavits.
Further party-wise BJP has the maximum of 49 (23%) out of 217 sitting women MPs/MLAs with Criminal Cases followed by INC having 28 (34%) out of 83 such women MPs/MLAs, TDP having 13 (65%) out of 20 such women MPs/MLAs, AITC having 12 (22%) out of 54 such women MPs/MLAs, AAP having 9(69%) out of 13 such women MPs/MLAs and Samajwadi Party having 6 (29%) out of 21 such MPs/MLAs with declared criminal cases against themselves in their self‐sworn affidavits.
Women MP/MLAs with Serious Criminal Cases include 24 (11%) out of 217 women MPs/MLAs in BJP, 17 (20%) out of 83 women MPs/MLAs in INC, 9 (45%) out of 20 women MPs/MLAs in TDP, 6 (11%) out of 54 women MPs/MLAs in AITC, 4 (31%) out of 13 women MPs/MLAs in AAP and 3 (14%) out of 21 women MPs/MLAs in SP have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their self‐sworn affidavits.
Interestingly sitting women MPs/MLAs also have cases of murder lodged under section 302 of IPC. As per ADR reports, out of 512 Women MPs/MLAs analysed, 3 have declared cases related to Murder (IPC Section ‐ 302).
Women MPs/MLAs in 18th Lok Sabha also have cases related to attempt to murder lodged under section 307 of IPC. Out of 512 Women MPs/MLAs analysed, 12 have declared cases related to attempt to murder. Of these 2 out of 75 Lok Sabha Women MPs, 1 out of 37 Rajya Sabha Women MPs and 9 out of 400 Women MLAs elected in different states by voters.
