With 6% Rise, 88% Newly Elected MPs Are Crorepatis: ADR Report
Representational image. | Image courtesy: parliamentofindia.nic.in
Eighty-eight percent or 475 of the newly elected MPs in 2019 general elections are crorepatis (with declared assets worth over Rs 1 crore), which marks a rise of 6% when compared with 2014 elections – when it was 82% -- according to a report by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). It was 58% in 2009 elections.
Several analysts of the election results interpreted the verdict as the rise of subaltern classes and some even went to the extent of calling the verdict as the manifestation of the collective subaltern. But, the composition of the new Lok Sabha indicates the rise of elite parliamentarians. As these figures indicate, the chances for the richer candidates continued to remain brighter compared with the candidates from humble backgrounds.
Consider this: the success rate of candidates with total assets of less than Rs 10 lakh was mere 0.3% (9 MPs), according to the analysis by ADR. Whereas, nearly a third or (30.1%) elected MPs have assets over Rs 5 crore.
Of the 542 Lok Sabha constituencies, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won in 303 seats, Congress in 52, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 23 and Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 22 and YSR Congress Party in 22 seats.
While the BJP leaders led the ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ or ‘I’m also a watchman’, it turned out to be only an election rhetoric. Their claim doesn’t reflect in their financial status. Eighty-eight percent or 265 newly elected MPs from the BJP are all crorepatis, followed by 43 from Congress, 22 from DMK, 20 from Trinamool Congress, 19 from YSRCP and 18 from Shiv Sena.
Congress candidate Nakul Nath, who has won from Chhindwara constituency, is the richest MP with assets worth Rs 660 crore, followed by Kanyakumari MP Vasanthakumar (Congress) with assets worth Rs 417 crore and Bangalore Rural MP D K Suresh (Congress) with assets worth Rs 338 crore.
YSRCP candidate Goddeti Madhavi won from Araku constituency in Andhra Pradesh has the lowest assets worth Rs 1.41 lakh followed by BJD MP from Odisha’s Keonjhar Chandrani Murmu with assets worth Rs 3.4 lakh.
Stateswise, Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 77 crorepati MPs out of total 79, followed by Maharashtra, where all the total 48 elected MPs are crorepatis, Bihar (37 crorepati MPs) and West Bengal (31).
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