Madhya Pradesh will head for voting on November 28 in a single-phase election to elect a new Legislative Assembly.

Counting of votes will happen along with Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana on December 11.

The state assembly comprises 230 elected members and a nominated member. Out of the 230 electable seats, 35 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 47 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs).

In 2013, Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained power with a thumping majority. BJP won 165 seats while the principle opposition party Indian National Congress bagged 58 seats. Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had won four seats while Independent candidates had managed to win three seats.

The Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) elected in 2013 included a mix of people across communities, groups and backgrounds.

Rich legislators

A report by Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysed elected MLAs over various parameters including their financial assets, educational qualifications and criminal cases, among other things.

The report, however, analyses only the MLAs elected in 2013 and not those elected in subsequent by-elections.

According to the report, compiled on the basis of election affidavits filed by these MLAs, 161 crorepatis were elected to the Assembly in 2013.

Around 72 percent of BJP’s MLAs were crorepatis against 69 percent of the Congress legislators in the state.

The number saw a spike from 2008 when 36 percent BJP MLAs and 53 percent Congress MLAs were crorepatis.

While the average assets for BJP MLAs was Rs 4.61 crore, average assets of Congress MLAs was Rs 7.11 crore. Average assets of the three Independent legislators was Rs 6.72 crore.

Congress’ Sanjay Pathak had the highest declared assets of Rs 121.32 crore followed by BJP’s Chetan Kashyap with assets worth Rs 120.29 crore. Pathak also had the highest declared liability worth Rs 48.70 crore.

Criminal cases

In 2013, a total of 73 MLAs with criminal cases against them were elected to the Assembly. This ran through party lines. This makes up around 32 percent of the legislators.

Out of the 165 elected BJP MLAs, 48 had criminal cases against them. This was against 22 Congress MLAs (out of 58). Two out of the three Independent MLAs also had criminal cases against them.

As many as 45 legislators had declared serious criminal cases such as kidnapping, banditry, extortion and assault against women, among others.

In 2008, 26 percent (58) MLAs had declared criminal cases out of the 219 MLAs analysed then.

Gender representation

Madhya Pradesh is one of the states to have 50 percent women’s reservation in Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs).

However, as we go higher in the order of governance, women’s representation falls drastically.

In 2013, only 30 women were elected to the Legislative Assembly. The situation was worse in 2008 with only 25 women MLAs being elected.

Out of the 30, 22 came from the BJP while six came from Congress. Two out of the four BSP MLAs were women. None of the independent MLAs were women.

Education and age

As many as 155 MLAs have an education qualification equivalent to graduate or above. This amounts to 67 percent of the legislators.

Around 32 percent declared there qualification to be 12th pass or below. Two MLAs declared themselves as literate. Three legislators were doctorate.

Around 39 MLAs were aged 40 or less while 157 MLAs were between 41 and 60 years. Another 34 MLAs were aged above 60 years. Age group 51-60 had the highest number of MLAs with 72.