June 7th 2024.
In the recent 2024 election for the Odisha Legislative Assembly, a concerning number of winning candidates have been found to have pending criminal cases against them. According to a report by the Odisha Election Watch, out of the 147 elected members, a staggering 85 have declared having criminal cases against them. This amounts to 58% of the winning candidates, which is significantly higher than the 2019 election where 46% of the elected members had criminal cases against them.
Upon closer analysis, it was found that out of the 85 winning candidates with criminal cases, 67 of them have declared serious criminal cases against them. This is a worrying trend as the number of MLAs with criminal cases has been on a steady rise over the past four elections, going from 33% in 2009 to 58% in the 2024 election. Similarly, the number of MLAs with serious criminal cases has also seen a sharp increase, from 21% in 2009 to 47% in the recent election.
A closer look at the political parties reveals that the BJP had the highest number of winning candidates with criminal cases, with 46 out of their 78 elected members having pending cases. The BJD, on the other hand, had 15 out of their 51 elected members with criminal cases, while the Congress had 11 out of 14 elected members with criminal cases. Even the sole candidate from CPI and three independent candidates who won the election have declared criminal cases against them.
The gravity of the situation becomes even more apparent when looking at the number of MLAs with serious criminal cases against them. The BJP again takes the top spot with 46 out of their 78 elected members having serious criminal cases, followed by 12 out of 51 BJD members and 5 out of 14 Congress members. In total, out of the 1285 candidates who contested the election, 348 had declared criminal cases against them.
This report highlights the disturbing reality of the increasing number of politicians with criminal backgrounds being elected to positions of power. It is a cause for concern and calls for stricter measures to ensure that only deserving and law-abiding citizens hold public office. It is essential for the betterment of the state and its people.
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