Rajya Sabha polls: 36% candidates declare criminal cases against themselves
At least 36% of Rajya Sabha candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves, poll rights body the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said. The ADR and National Election Watch examined the affidavits of 58 out of 59 candidates competing for 56 seats across 15 states. Notably, 41 MPs have been elected unopposed, while elections are underway for 15 Rajya Sabha seats in three states—Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh.
Breakdown of candidates with criminal cases by party
The report showed that candidates from 10 political parties, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), and Samajwadi Party (SP) have declared criminal cases in their affidavits. Furthermore, 17% of these candidates face serious criminal charges, including one with attempted murder cases. In terms of wealth, 21% of the candidates are billionaires, with Congress nominee Abhishek Manu Singhvi, SP nominee Jaya Bachchan, and Janata Dal (Secular) nominee Kupendra Reddy being among the wealthiest
Financial backgrounds and demographics of Rajya Sabha candidates
ADR found that the average net worth of Rajya Sabha candidates is Rs. 127.81 crore, with about 21% being billionaires. In terms of education, it was discovered that 17% of the candidates have qualifications ranging from 5th to 12th grade, while a significant 79% hold graduate or higher degrees. The report said 76% of candidates fall in the 51-70 age group with only 16% in the 31-50 age group. It also highlighted that only 19% of the candidates are women.
Rajya Sabha elections underway
The 250-member-strong Upper House of Parliament went to the polls at 9 am on Tuesday. Elections are slated to be held for 56 seats, however, 41 members have already been elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha. The term of 50 members from 13 states will conclude on April 2, while six members from two states will retire on April 3. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has set Thursday as the deadline for completion of Rajya Sabha polls.
Here's how voting in Rajya Sabha polls takes place
Rajya Sabha members are indirectly elected by State Legislative Assembly members through a proportional representation system using a single transferable vote. In this process, each MLA's ballot paper lists as many preferences as there are candidates. The MLAs vote by marking their preferences next to the candidate names. Candidates who secure the required quota of votes in the first round are declared elected.
