Summary and Highlights

Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) have analysed 4881 out of 4899 election affidavits of sitting MPs and MLAs. This report analyses 772 out of 776 affidavits of sitting MPs and 4109 out of 4123 sitting MLAs from all the states and union territories of India in the last 5 years. It also includes analysis of the affidavits submitted for bye-elections held during the 5 years’ period due to resignation, death or vacation of seat due to some other reason.

This data has been extracted from the affidavits (Form 26) submitted with the ECI and filed by the candidates i.e MP and MLAs in the present report at the time elections were held in the years between 2022 to 2026. The current status of the criminal cases taken from these affidavits and given the present report is not known and may vary on a case to case basis.

Of the 772 sitting MPs and 4,109 sitting MLAs analysed, 187 have declared cases related to crimes against women.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India registered 4,41,534 cases of crimes against women in 2024, averaging approximately 1,210 cases per day. Delhi and Telangana recorded crime rates of around twice the national average of 64.6 cases per lakh women.

• Out of 772 sitting MPs and 4109 sitting MLAs analysed, 187 sitting MPs/MLAs have declared cases related to crimes against women.
• Among these 187 sitting MPs/MLAs with declared cases related to Crimes against women, 19 are sitting MPs and 168 are sitting MLAs.

Party wise sitting MPs/MLAs with cases related to crimes against women

• Among various parties, BJP has the highest number of sitting MPs/ MLAs, i.e., 106, followed by INC with 20 and TDP with 18 sitting MPs/MLAs who have declared cases related to crimes against women.

State wise sitting MPs/MLAs with cases related to crimes against women

• Among the states, West Bengal has the highest number of sitting MPs/ MLAs i.e., 69, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 22 and Odisha with 17 sitting MPs/MLAs who have declared cases related to crimes against women.

Details of Sitting MPs/MLAs with declared cases related to rape

• Out of 187 sitting MPs/MLAs who have declared cases related to crimes against women, 14 sitting MPs/MLAs have declared cases related to rape (IPC Section-376) and person committing rape repeatedly on the same woman (IPC Section- 376(2)(n)).
• Among these 14 sitting MPs/MLAs with declared cases related to Rape, 2 are sitting Lok Sabha MPs and 12 are sitting MLAs.

Party wise number of sitting MPs/MLAs with declared cases related to rape

• Among the parties, BJP and INC have the highest number of sitting MPs/ MLAs with declared cases related to rape, with 4 each. In the BJP, 2 sitting MLAs and 2 sitting MPs have declared such cases, while in the INC, 4 sitting MLAs have declared such cases.TDP, Democratic Trinamool Congress, BJD, NPP, Bharat Adivasi Party and All India Secular Front have 1 sitting MLA each with declared cases related to rape.