Bengaluru: Karnataka, which is set to go for polls in May, has around 26 per cent MLAs with serious criminal charges against them, of which four have attempt to murder charges under IPC section 307. This has been revealed in a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). A total of 35 per cent MLAs have declared criminal charges against themselves in their affidavits. BJP has the highest number of MLAs with both criminal and serious criminal charges.
Forty nine out of 112 MLAs from BJP, 16 out of 67 from Congress, nine out of 30 from Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) and two out of four independent MLAs have declared criminal charges. Among the 26 MLAs who declared serious criminal charges against them included 35 from BJP, 13 from Congress and eight from JD(S). Overall, 42 per cent of the sitting MLAs of BJP have criminal charges and 30 percent serious criminal charges. In Congress, 24 per cent MLAs have criminal charges and 19 per cent serious criminal charges. Next, JD(S) has 30 per cent MLAs with criminal charges and 19 per cent with serious criminal charges. The ADR report further revealed that 73 (33 per cent) MLAs have declared educational qualification between class V and XII and 140 (64 per cent) are graduates or have higher qualifications. One MLA has declared himself as just literate.
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The report has been prepared after analysing the criminal, financial and other background details of 219 of 224 sitting MLAs. In the current Assembly, two seats are vacant and ADR could not analyse the records of three MLAs as their affidavits were unavailable. The state is set to witness a triangular contest between the BJP, Congress and JD(S). JD(S) leader and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy led a Panchratna Rath Yatra from November 1 2022 to March 26 to gather support for his party.
