The non-profit organisation Association for Democratic Reforms said that 158 out of 241 MLAs, which means 65.5% of the legislators, are facing pending cases.

A poll watchdog has said in its reports that nearly two-thirds of sitting lawmakers in Bihar assembly have ‘declared criminal cases’ against them, Scroll reported.

The non-profit organisation Association for Democratic Reforms said that 158 out of 241 MLAs, which means 65.5% of the legislators, are facing pending cases. It is reported that 119 MLAs (49.3%) of them are caught in serious criminal cases.

The organization defined serious criminal cases as the ones that involve more than five years of jail term as punishment, if convicted.

Also, the offences are non-bailable and cognisable, and electoral offences, based on the criteria.

Sixteen MLAs face cases related to murder with 30 of the lawmakers are fighting cases related to attempt to murder, while eight MLAs face declared cases related to crimes against women.

As many as 53 out of 83 MLAs of the BJP have declared criminal cases against them.

As for Janata Dal (United), 21 of 47 (45%) its MLAs are facing declared criminal cases just as the party is governing the state in an alliance with the BJP.

Of the Opposition parties, 53 of 72 (74%) lawmakers of the Rashtriya Janata Dal face criminal cases with 14 of 17 Congress MLAs (82%) facing the same situation.

The report is based on the self-sworn affidavits of 241 out of the 243 MLAs filed before the 2020 Assembly elections.

The assembly polls in Bihar will take place on November 6 and November 11 in two phases with results coming out on November 14.