A startling report has revealed that nearly 70% of sitting MLAs in Kerala have declared criminal cases against themselves, while more than half are crorepatis. The findings, released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Kerala Election Watch, have raised serious concerns about the state’s political landscape.
Criminal Cases Against MLAs Raise Alarm
Out of 132 MLAs analysed, 92 legislators are facing pending criminal cases. Among them, 33 MLAs, around 25%, are facing serious charges including murder and attempt to murder. The report highlights that two MLAs have declared cases under Section 302 (murder), while three face charges under Section 307 (attempt to murder). Additionally, three MLAs have cases related to crimes against women, including one involving rape.
Party-Wise Data Shows Widespread Issue
The presence of criminal cases cuts across party lines. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has 43 out of 58 MLAs (74%) facing cases, while the Indian National Congress has 19 out of 21 MLAs (90%) with such declarations. The Communist Party of India has 44% MLAs with cases, while the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has 86%.
Over Half MLAs Are Crorepatis
On the financial front, 72 MLAs (55%) have declared assets worth more than ₹1 crore. The total combined assets of all MLAs stand at ₹363.78 crore, with an average asset value of ₹2.75 crore per legislator. Several parties, including Kerala Congress (M), Janata Dal (Secular), and the Nationalist Congress Party, have all their MLAs in the crorepati category.
Richest and Poorest MLAs
Among individuals, Mathew Kuzhalnadan from Congress is the richest MLA with assets exceeding ₹34 crore. He is followed by Independent MLA Mani C Kappen with over ₹27 crore and K B Ganesh Kumar with assets above ₹19 crore. On the other end, P P Sumod of CPI(M) is the least wealthy, with assets of around ₹9.9 lakh.
Education and Age Profile
The report also sheds light on the educational background of MLAs, with 61% holding graduate-level or higher qualifications, while 36% have studied between Class 5 and 12. In terms of gender representation, only 11 MLAs (8%) are women, highlighting a significant gap.
Majority MLAs Above 50 Years
Age-wise, 70% of MLAs fall in the 51–80 years category, while 30% are between 25 and 50 years old, indicating a dominance of older leaders in the state’s political system.
The ADR report paints a concerning picture of Kerala’s political class, with high criminal cases and growing wealth among lawmakers becoming key issues ahead of the upcoming elections.
