BJP has most number of MLAs with criminal cases in Puducherry

PUDUCHERRY: As many as 13 (43%) candidates who won the 2021 assembly polls in the Union territory of Puducherry have declared that they are facing criminal cases, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) after analyzing the criminal, financial, educational backgrounds of the elected representatives. The assembly has 30 seats.
In the last assembly, 37% (11) of the elected representatives had declared that they were facing criminal cases.
In this this assembly, 20% (six) of the elected representatives have declared serious criminal cases including attempt to murder and electoral violation as against 13% (4) in the last assembly.
The BJP has the most number of elected representatives with criminal cases with four while the DMK and All India NR Congress (AINRC) have three representatives each. Three independent candidates elected to the assembly have declared criminal cases against themselves.
Three DMK representatives (A M H Nazeem, L Sambath and R Siva), a representative from the BJP (P M L Kalyanasundaram) and AINRC (P R N Thirumurugan) and an independent (P Angalane) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
83% (25) of the elected representatives are crorepatis. Even last assembly had 83% crorepatis. All the six BJP MLAs, two Congress MLAs, nine out of 10 AINRC MLAs, three out of six DMK MLAs and five out of six independents have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.
Sixteen MLAs have declared assets worth more than Rs 5 crore, six between Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore, five between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 2 crore and three less than Rs 50 lakh.
The average assets per winning candidate in the 2021 assembly came down to Rs 9.92 crore from Rs 13.45 crore in the previous assembly.
Independent MLA G Nehru is the richest elected representative with Rs 43 crore followed by AINRC founder leader N Rangasamy (Rs 38 crore) and BJP MLA A Johnkumar (Rs 26 crore).
DMK MLA M Nagathiyagarajan has the lowest asset with Rs 29 lakh. Independent candidate P R Siva (Rs 37 lakh) and AINRC U Lakshmikandhan (Rs 44 lakh) are other MLAs with low assets. Siva has declared that neither he nor his family members own immovable property.
Nehru declared the highest income in a year with Rs 1.02 crore followed by A Namassivayam (BJP) with Rs 74.78 lakh and independent candidate M Sivasankar (Rs 55 lakh).
The educational qualification of 11 candidates is between classes V and XII. Seventeen representatives are graduates and above, one is a diploma holder and one declared that he is illiterate.
Thirteen candidates are aged between 25 and 50 years while the rest 17 are aged between 51 and 70 years.
Seven representatives are reelected in 2021 polls. Their average asset, which was Rs 17.34 crore in 2016, increased to Rs 20.57 crore in 2021.
The average asset of BJP representatives is Rs 11.26 lakh, the AINRC Rs 11.21 lakh, independents Rs 9.92 lakh, Congress Rs 7.74 lakh and the DMK Rs 7.15 lakh. Only one woman was elected to the 30-member assembly in the 2021 polls.