Skip to main content

BJP put up highest number of candidates with crimes against women for MP, MLA polls

Counterview Desk
In its note, “Women's Political Participation and Representation in India”, released on the International Women’s Day (March 8), the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has found that just nine per cent of MPs and MLAs across India are women, adding, among the state assemblies, none of the states have more than 10% women candidates.
Based on information posted on the website of the Election Commission of India (ECI), as reflected in the affidavits submitted by individual candidates to the ECI, ADR further finds that, among the major parties in the last 5 years, the higher number of 54 candidates with declared cases related to crimes against women were given tickets by BJP, followed by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), 37 and the Indian National Congress 30.
Even as offering this information, ADR insists, “it does not add or subtract any information, unless the ECI changes the data. In particular, no unverified information from any other source is used. While all efforts have been made to ensure that the information is in keeping with what is available in the ECI website, in case of discrepancy between information in this report and that given in the ECI website, the information available ECI website should be treated as correct.”
Women's representation in state assemblies

Text of the ADR note:

Out of total 51,143 candidates analysed from across the country, only 4,173 (8%) are women. Among these 4,173 women candidates 546 (13%) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. Out of the 4,173 women candidates analysed, 1,060 (25%) are crorepatis. In the last three Lok Sabha elections, the number of candidates has been increased remarkably from 2004 to 2014 whereas the increase in the number of women candidates remained nominal.
Among the State Assemblies, none of the states had more than 10% women candidates in the elections. States such as Jharkhand, West Bengal, Sikkim and Chhattisgarh had highest percentage of women candidates contested in their respective assembly elections.
Out of total 4,865 MPs/MLAs analysed from across the country, only 440 (9%) are women. Among these 94 (21%) MPs/MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves. Out of the 440 MPs/MLAs analysed, 310 (70%) are crorepatis. Among MPs, Lok Sabha has 66 (12%) out of 542 analysed and Rajya Sabha has 25 (11%) out of 228 MPs analysed are women. 
MPs/ MLAs with cases related to crime against women 
Out of 1642 (34%) MPs/MLAs analysed with declared criminal cases, 52 have declared cases related to crimes against women. Among these 52 MPs/MLAs with declared cases related to crimes against women, 45 are MLAs and 3 are MPs. 
480 candidates analysed who had declared cases related to crimes against women, were given tickets by recognized political parties. 125 independent candidates analysed with declared cases related to crimes against women had contested for Lok/Rajya Sabha and state assembly elections in last 5 years.
Among these candidates, 58 candidates were given tickets by parties for Lok Sabha / Rajya Sabha elections. Various recognized parties have given tickets to 422 candidates with cases related to crimes against women for state assemblies’ elections.

In the last 5 years, 18 independent candidates with declared cases related to crimes against women contested in the Lok Sabha/ Rajya Elections. Similarly, 107 independent candidates with declared cases related to crimes against women contested in the state assemblies’ elections.
Among the states, Maharashtra has the highest number of MPs/ MLAs i.e. 11, followed by West Bengal with 10 , Odisha and Andhra Pradesh each with 5 MPs/MLAs who have declared cases related crimes against women.
Among the states in the last 5 years, Maharashtra has the highest number of candidates i.e. 65, followed by Bihar with 63 and West Bengal with 52 candidates who were given tickets by political parties even though they have declared cases related to crimes against women in their affidavits.
Among various recognized parties, BJP has the highest number of MPs/MLAs i.e. 12, followed by INC with 7 and SHS (Shiv Sena) with 6 MPs/MLAs who have declared cases related crimes against women.
Among the major parties in the last 5 years, 54 candidates with declared cases related to crimes against women were given tickets by BJP. The second highest number of candidates, i.e. 37 who had declared cases related to crimes against women were given tickets by BSP, followed by 30 candidates from INC who had declared cases related to crimes against women who had contested for Lok/Rajya Sabha and State Assemblies Elections in last 5 years.
Following are 3 MLAs who have declared cases related to rape:
  • Gonuguntla Suryanarayana from TDP who has won from Dharmavaram constituency in Andhra Pradesh (2014)
  • Jethabhai G Ahir from BJP who has won from Shehra constituency in Gujarat (2017) 
  • Gulab Yadav from RJD who has won from Jhanjharpur constituency in Bihar(2015) 
In the last 5 years, recognized parties have given tickets to 44 candidates who had declared cases related to rape. In the last 5 years, 14 independent candidates with declared cases related to rape have contested for Lok/Rajya Sabha and State assemblies’ elections.

Comments

TRENDING

Importance of Bangladesh for India amidst 'growing might' of China in South Asia

By Samara Ashrat*  The basic key factor behind the geopolitical importance of Bangladesh is its geographical location. The country shares land borders with Myanmar and India. Due to its geographical position, Bangladesh is a natural link between South Asia and Southeast Asia.  The country is also a vital geopolitical ally to India, in that it has the potential to facilitate greater integration between Northeast India and Mainland India. Not only that, due to its open access to the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh has become significant to both China and the US.

Unlike other revolutionaries, Hindutva icon wrote 5 mercy petitions to British masters

By Shamsul Islam*  The Hindutva icon VD Savarkar of the RSS-BJP rulers of India submitted not one, two,or three but five mercy petitions to the British masters! Savarkarites argue: “There are no evidences to prove that Savarkar collaborated with the British for his release from jail. In fact, his appeal for release was a ruse. He was well aware of the political developments outside and wanted to be part of it. So he kept requesting for his release. But the British authorities did not trust him a bit” (YD Phadke, ‘A complex Hero’, "The Indian Expres"s, August 31, 2004)

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

'BBC film shows only tip of iceberg': Sanjiv Bhatt's daughter speaks at top US press club

By Our Representative   The United States' premier journalists' organisation, the National Press Club (NPC), has come down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for recent "attacks on journalists in India." Speaking at the screening of an episode of the BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question,” banned in India, in the club premises, NPC President Eileen O’Reilly said, “Since Modi came to power we have watched with frustration and disappointment as his regime has suppressed the rights of its citizens to a free and independent news media."

Chinese pressure? Left stateless, Rohingya crisis result of Myanmar citizenship law

By Dr Shakuntala Bhabani*  A 22-member team of Myanmar immigration officials visited Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar to verify more than 400 Rohingya refugees as part of a pilot repatriation project. Does it hold out any hope for the forcibly displaced people to return to their ancestral homes in the Rakhine state of Myanmar? Only time will tell.

China ties up with India, Bangladesh to repatriate Rohingyas; Myanmar unwilling

By Harunur Rasid*  We now have a new hope, thanks to news reports that were published in the Bangladeshi dailies recently. Myanmar has suddenly taken initiatives to repatriate Rohingyas. As part of this initiative, diplomats from eight countries posted in Yangon were flown to Rakhine last week. Among them were diplomats from Bangladesh, India and China.

40,000 Odisha adolescent girls ask CM: Why is scheme to fight malnutrition on paper?

By Our Representative  In unique a postcard campaign to combat malnutrition, aimed at providing dietary diversity, considered crucial during adolescence, especially among girls, signed by about 40,000 adolescent girls from over 10,000 villages, have reminded Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik that his government's Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG), which converged with Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman  ( POSHAN ) 2.0 in 2021, is not being implemented in the State.

Natural farming: Hamirpur leads the way to 'huge improvement' in nutrition, livelihood

By Bharat Dogra*  Santosh is a dedicated farmer who along with his wife Chunni Devi worked very hard in recent months to convert a small patch of unproductive land into a lush green, multi-layer vegetable garden. This has ensured year-round supply of organically grown vegetables to his family as well as fetched several thousand rupees in cash sales.

Over-stressed? As Naveen Patnaik turns frail, Odisha 'moves closer' to leadership crisis

By Sudhansu R Das  Not a single leader in Odisha is visible in the horizon who can replace Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He has ruled Odisha for nearly two and half decades. His father, Biju Patnaik, had built Odisha; he was a daring pilot who saved the life of Indonesia’s Prime Minister Sjahrir and President Sukarno when the Dutch army blocked their exit.