12% of Rajya Sabha MPs are billionaires; 18% face serious criminal charges: ADR
Association for Democratic Reforms and the National Election Watch analysed and updated the criminal, financial and other background details of 225 of 233 RS MPs
At least 27 sitting Rajya Sabha MPs, or 12 per cent, are billionaires, with Telugu states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana accounting for a lion’s share of the lot, says latest data released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
ADR and the National Election Watch (NEW) have analysed and updated the criminal, financial and other background details of 225 out of 233 Rajya Sabha MPs.
According to the report, five (45 per cent) of 11 MPs from Andhra Pradesh, three (43 per cent) of seven MPs from Telangana, three (16 per cent) of 19 MPs from Maharashtra, one (33 per cent) out of three MPs from Delhi, two (29 per cent) out of seven MPs from Punjab, one (20 per cent) out of five MPs from Haryana and two (18 per cent) out of 11 MPs from Madhya Pradesh have declared assets worth more than ₹100 crore.
The total assets of seven MPs analysed from Telangana was found to be ₹5,596 crore, that of 11 MPs from Andhra Pradesh was ₹3,823 crore, and 30 MPs analysed from Uttar Pradesh had total assets worth ₹1,941 crore.
33% have criminal cases against them
Out of the 225 Rajya Sabha sitting MPs analysed, 75 (33 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves.
Also about 41 (18 per cent) Rajya Sabha sitting MPs have declared serious criminal cases and two members have declared cases related to murder (IPC section 302).
Four Rajya Sabha sitting MPs have declared cases related to crimes against women. Out of four MPs, one Rajya Sabha sitting MP – Congress' K C Venugopal – from Rajasthan has declared case related to rape (IPC section 376).
About 23 (27 per cent) out of 85 Rajya Sabha MPs from BJP, 12 (40 per cent) out of 30 MPs from Congress, 4 (31 per cent) out of 13 MPs from AITC, 5 (83 per cent) out of six MPs from RJD, 4 (80 per cent) out of five MPs from CPI(M), three (30 per cent) out of 10 MPs from AAP, three (33 per cent) out of nine MPs from YSRCP, and two (67 per cent) out of three Rajya Sabha MPs from the NCP have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
(With inputs from agencies)
