Despite Supreme Court guidelines requiring political parties to publicise the criminal records of their candidates, it is worrying that the number of candidates with criminal backgrounds getting elected is increasing year by year.

With election results announced and the next government to be formed in the coming days, an Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysis reveals a shocking surge in Lok Sabha MPs with criminal cases over the last decade.

According to the ADR report, out of 543 newly elected MPs, 251 (46%) have declared criminal cases against themselves in their election affidavits.

In 2019, ADR had analysed 539 winning candidates, of whom 233 (43%) had declared criminal cases against themselves.

The number of MPs with criminal cases was much lower in 2014 compared to 2019 and 2024, with 162 (30%) newly elected candidates having criminal cases against them.

Winning Candidates with Serious Criminal Cases:

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, 170 (31%) of the winning candidates have disclosed serious criminal cases, including charges related to rape, murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and crimes against women. In the 2019 elections, out of 539 MPs analyzed, 159 (29%) had serious criminal cases. In the 2014 elections, 112 (21%) of the 542 MPs analyzed had declared serious criminal cases.

In a surprising revelation, the ADR analysis found that candidates with declared criminal cases in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have a 15.3% chance of winning, compared to just 4.4% for candidates with a clean background.

Party-wise newly elected MPs with criminal cases

BJP: 94 (39%) out of 240

Congress: 49 (49%) out of 99

Samajwadi Party: 21 (57%) out of 37

Trinamool Congress: 13 (45%) out of 29

DMK: 13 (59%) out of 22

TDP: 8 (50%) out of 16

Shiv Sena: 5 (71%) out of 7

Party-wise newly elected MPs with serious criminal cases

BJP: 63(26%) out of 240

Congress: 32(32%) out of 99

Samajwadi Party: 17 (46%) out of 37

Trinamool Congress: 7 (24%) out of 29

DMK: 6 (27%) out of 22

TDP: 5 (31%) out of 16

Shiv Sena: 4 (57%) out of 7

Despite Supreme Court guidelines requiring political parties to publicise the criminal records of their candidates, it is worrying that the number of candidates with criminal backgrounds getting elected is increasing year by year.