In Madhya Pradesh, 81% Of MLAs Are Crorepatis, Most From BJP: Report

In Madhya Pradesh, where the per capita income of a common man is Rs 1,40,583 or roughly Rs 11,000 per month, as many as 186 (81%) of the current MLAs are crorepatis, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report released on Thursday. The report also revealed that the 230 sitting MLAs owned average assets worth Rs 10.76 crore, which was 105% more than the Rs 5.24 crore figure of each MLA elected in the 2013 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections and 647% more than the Rs 1.44 crore average wealth status of the 230 total MLAs elected in 2008.

As per the report, 107 (83%) of the 129 Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs were crorepatis, while 76 (78%) out of the 97 Congress legislators were millionaires. Three out of four independent MLAs are also crorepati.

The number of crorepati MLAs elected in the Madhya Pradesh 2008 polls was just 84, which grew by 92% to 161 crorepati MLAs elected in the 2013 elections. The same number of crorepati MLAs elected in 2018 polls increased by 15.5% to 186 MLAs.

The number of ruling BJP's crorepati MLAs, which stood at 118 in 2013, dropped by 9% to 107 in 2018 polls, while the number of crorepati Congress MLAs, which stood at 40 in 2013, jumped by 142% to 97 in 2018.

BJP's Sanjay Pathak richest MLA in Madhya Pradesh

Ex-minister and BJP MLA Sanjay Pathak is the richest sitting MLA with total assets worth Rs 226 crore, 60% more than Rs 141 crore in 2013.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath is sixth on the list of the richest MLAs, with total declared assets worth Rs 124 crore.

Incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held assets worth over Rs 7 crore, as per the affidavit he filed in the 2018 polls.

Madhya Pradesh's poorest lawmakers

Six BJP MLAs and four Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh own the lowest assets.

While Ram Dangore, the BJP's first-time tribal MLA from the Pandhana seat, owned assets worth Rs 50,000, third-time BJP MLA and minister Usha Thakur had assets worth Rs 7 lakh. Ruling party's tribal MLA Sharad Kol is also on the list with total assets worth Rs 8.4 lakh.

40% of Madhya Pradesh MLAs have criminal cases

According to the ADR report, 40% of the legislators in Madhya Pradesh have criminal cases against them, while 20% of MLAs have serious criminal cases.

In the ruling BJP, 30% of the total 129 MLAs had criminal cases and 16% were accused in serious criminal cases. In Congress, 54% of the total 97 MLAs had criminal cases, while 26% of MLAs were accused in serious criminal cases.

Education qualification of Madhya Pradesh MLAs

The ADR report states that out of the current 230 MLAs in Madhya Pradesh, 59 were post-graduates, including 35 from the BJP and 24 from Congress. The report also says that 55 legislators (28 from BJP, 26 from Congress, and one independent MLA) were graduates, while 39 (25 from BJP, 13 from Congress, and one Independent) were graduate professionals.

Five MLAs (four from BJP and one from Congress) of the 230 MLAs were doctorates, while four (two from BJP, one from Congress, and one independent) were professional diploma holders.

Thirty-five MLAs were Class 12th pass, 12 legislators were Class 10th pass, seven were Class 8th pass, eight were Class 5th pass, five (four BJP and one BSP) were literates, while a BJP MLA was illiterate.