Criminal cases are pending against 12 new MLAs

Of the 90 winning candidates in the 2024 Haryana Assembly, criminal cases are pending against 12 (13%).

According to the Association for Democratic Reforms report released today, seven (19%) of the 37 Congress MPs, three (6%) of the 48 BJP MPs and two of the three winning Independent candidates have filed criminal cases against them in their affidavits.

Congress MP from Ferozepur Jhirka, Mamman Khan, has four FIRs against him and one of them has an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 relating to the 2023 Nuh riots on grounds of religion, which is related to Disappearance of evidence of crime, robbery or bribery resulting in attempted murder, as well as criminal intimidation. He also faces charges of arson or explosives with intent to destroy a house, etc.

Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, elected from Garhi Sampla Kiloi, is facing eight cases. These were filed by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, respectively. Other charges against him include breach of trust, criminal conspiracy, fraud and forgery.

Sirsa Congressman Gokul Setia is facing two counts of criminal intimidation, trespassing and voluntarily causing bodily harm to deter a public servant from his duty. BJP’s Dhanesh Adlakha from Badkhal is facing two cases related to the Prevention of Corruption Act, cheating and forgery of documents, among others.

Even after the 2019 assembly elections, there were 12 MLAs against whom criminal cases were filed.

Of the 90 winning candidates, 86 (96%) are crorepatis. Forty-six (96%) of the 48 winning candidates of the BJP, 35 (95%) of the 37 MLAs of the Congress, two (100%) MLAs of the INLD and three (100%) independent MLAs have declared the value of their assets to be more than Rs 1 crore .

Hisar Independent MLA Savitri Jindal is the richest MLA with total assets of Rs 270.66 crore. Kalka BJP MP Shakti Rani Sharma is the second richest with wealth of Rs 145.24 crore and BJP’s Tosham MP Shruti Choudhry is the third richest with wealth of Rs 134.57 crore.

BJP’s Bawani Khera MP Kapoor Singh has the lowest wealth of Rs 7.20 lakh, while Congress’ Guhla MP Devender Hans has wealth of Rs 9 lakh. Hans does not own any residential or commercial property. Congress’s Ratia MP Jarnail Singh has assets worth Rs 53 lakh.

The number of re-elected MLAs is 30 and their wealth has increased by 59 percent in the last five years.

26 MLAs (29%) have declared that their educational qualification is between Class VIII and XII, while 61 (68%) winning candidates have declared that they have a degree or above and two MLAs are diploma holders. An MLA has stated that he can only read and write.

Thirty-one MLAs have listed their ages as 25 to 50 years, while 59 winning candidates have listed their ages as 51 to 80 years.

Thirteen (14%) winning candidates are women. In 2019, nine (10%) of the 90 MLAs were women.