Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) & National Election Watch (NEW) have analyzed affidavits of 51,143 male and female candidates including 4865 MPs/MLAs across the country. Out of total 51,143 candidates analyzed from across the country, only 4,173 (8%) are women.
Analysis of Women Candidates
· Among these 4,173 women candidates 546 (13%) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.
· Out of the 4,173 women candidates analyzed, 1060 (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 % of women candidates in the elections. States such as Jharkhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Chhattisgarh had the highest percentage of women candidates contested in their respective assembly elections.
Analysis of Sitting Women MPs/MLAs
· Out of total 4865 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.
· Among the State Assemblies, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal have the highest percentage of women MLAs.
MPs/ MLAs with Cases Related 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 and state assemblies elections in the 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.
- 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.
