According to the report, BJP recorded the highest number of such MLAs/MPs with serious criminal cases, at 22% since 2004
An analysis of 8,893 candidates who have either contested the parliamentary or state elections from Karnataka since 2004 showed that 1,135 have pending criminal cases against them, a report by poll watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) revealed.
The ADR and the Karnataka Election Watch analysed the MPs and MLAs, along with stating the pending criminal cases and financial declarations made by them.
A total of 801 MPs/MLAs who have held seats either in Parliament or state assembly since 2004 from Karnataka have been analysed by ADR and the Karnataka Election Watch.
Out of 801 MPs/MLAs analysed since 2004, 239 (30%) have declared criminal cases against themselves and 150 (19%) have serious criminal cases.
According to the report, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recorded the highest number of such MLAs/MPs with serious criminal cases, at 22% since 2004.
This was followed by the Janata Dal (Secular) at 20% and the Indian National Congress (INC) at 14%.
A total of 1,135 (13%), out of these 8,893 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves, the report stated.
According to the report, BJP recorded the highest number of such candidates with serious criminal cases, at 16% since 2004.
This was followed by the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) at 12%, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) at 5% and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at 2%.
MLAs/MPs from the BJP declared the most number of serious criminal cases in their affidavits since 2004, at 22%, the report stated.
The report further bifurcated the analysed candidates and MLAs/MPs on the basis of serious and non-serious criminal cases.
The average assets of all candidates (8,893) analysed since 2004 is ₹5.91 crore, out of which, average assets for 705 candidates with declared serious criminal stood at ₹14.59 crore.
The average assets of all MPs/MLAs (801) analysed since 2004 is ₹22.33 crore, of which, the average assets of 150 MPs/MLAs with declared serious criminal cases stood at ₹33.24 crore.
Out of 8,893 candidates analysed, nearly 87% of candidates have not recorded any criminal cases against themselves.
However, candidates with a clean record had only a 7% chance of winning, the report said.
BJP has the highest number of such candidates with a clean record (40%) while Congress had 38% of candidates with clean record, the report stated
The information is based on the affidavits submitted by these candidates prior to the 2008, 2013 and 2018 Karnataka assembly elections and 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019 Karnataka Lok Sabha elections and By-elections to Karnataka Assembly and Lok Sabha.
