Report released just ahead of the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand by poll rights body the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has revealed that a large percentage of sitting MLAs in both states have criminal cases registered against them. 

The analysis, which scrutinized affidavits submitted by the candidates prior to the 2019 Assembly elections and subsequent byelections, indicates that 60% of Maharashtra’s current legislators and 49% of Jharkhand’s sitting MLAs are charged under criminal cases.

In Maharashtra, of the 272 sitting MLAs analysed, 164 have declared criminal cases, with 106 legislators—accounting for 39% of the total—facing serious charges. 

The nature of these charges spans a concerning range of offenses, including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and crimes against women. This high prevalence of criminal backgrounds among Maharashtra’s elected representatives has drawn significant public and media scrutiny, especially with the state set to vote on November 20 in a single-phase election to decide the fate of its 288 Assembly seats.

Within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 62 of the 103 MLAs, or approximately 60%, have declared criminal cases against themselves. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), under the leadership of Ajit Pawar, shows an even higher percentage, with 25 out of 40 MLAs—around 63%—facing charges. Among the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, 22 of the 38 MLAs (58%) have criminal cases.

While Congress has 20 out of 37 MLAs (54%) similarly implicated. Even within the faction of the Shiv Sena UBT, 9 of the 16 MLAs (56%) face charges, alongside 6 out of 12 MLAs (50%) from the NCP SP. Furthermore, independent MLAs are not immune to this trend, with 9 out of 12 (a striking 75%) declaring criminal cases against themselves.

The ADR report points out that two sitting Maharashtra MLAs have murder charges against them, while 10 MLAs are accused of attempted murder. Additionally, cases involving crimes against women have been registered against 12 legislators.

In Jharkhand, Of the 74 sitting MLAs analysed, 36 have declared criminal cases against themselves, which is 49% of the total. This marks a slight decline from 2019, when 62% of Jharkhand’s MLAs had declared criminal cases before the last state elections. Jharkhand prepares for elections in two phases on November 13 and November 20, with results expected on November 23.

The breakdown in Jharkhand also shows troubling patterns across party lines. Within the BJP, 13 of the 26 MLAs (50%) have declared criminal cases, as do 12 out of 25 legislators from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), or 48%. Among Congress MLAs, the figure stands at 50%, with 8 out of 16 legislators facing charges. Even the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), though smaller in representation, sees 1 out of its 3 MLAs (33%) implicated in criminal cases.

Serious criminal charges also feature in Jharkhand’s legislative landscape. Two MLAs face cases related to attempt to murder, while two others have declared cases related to crimes against women.