Association of Democratic Rights report highlights the worrying signs
The Newz Radar
Dharamshala
If in 2017 Assembly elections in Himachal 32 per cent of the elected MLAs of BJP and Congress had criminal cases against them then in 2022 this figure has gone up to 41 per cent.
A report by the Association of Democratic Rights (ADR) highlighted this worrying trend.
As per the ADR report, there has been an increase in the number of serious criminal cases too. In 2017 it was 12 per cent and rose to 18 per cent in 2022.
The ADR report also released details of the finances of the new 68 MLAs. There are 63 crorepatis among the 68 MLAs, the report said.
Out of the 40 Congress MLAs, 23 have criminal cases against them and nine MLAs have serious criminal cases against them, according to the ADR report. Among the 25 BJP MLAs five have criminal cases against them and three have serious criminal cases against them.
BJP MLA from Chaupal Assembly seat, Balvir Verma has assets worth Rs 128 crore. Next in line is Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh, from Shimla Rural Assembly seat with assets worth Rs 101 crore. Congress MLA from Nagrota Bagwan Assembly seat, Raghuvir Singh Bali, has assets worth Rs 92 crore, according to state resource centre, Shimla, director Dr O P Bhuraita.