28% sitting MLAs in Goa have criminal cases against them: ADR

Twenty-eight percent of the 40 sitting MLAs in Goa had declared criminal cases against themselves while 23 per cent had declared serious criminal cases against them in their election affidavits, poll rights group Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said.

The ADR and Goa Election Watch have analysed the criminal, financial and other background details of all 40 legislatures. The analysis is based on the affidavits submitted by them prior to the 2017 Assembly elections and bypolls conducted thereafter.

Of the 40 sitting MLAs analysed, 11 (28 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves and nine (23 per cent) MLAs have declared serious criminal cases, it said.

The report said seven (26 per cent) out of 27 MLAs from the BJP, one (20 per cent) out of five MLAs from the Congress, one (33 per cent) out of three MLAs from the Goa Forward Party, one (100 per cent) out of one MLA from the NCP and one (33 per cent) out of the 3 Independent MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits, the ADR said.

The poll rights body further said five (19 per cent) out of 27 MLAs from the BJP, one (20 per cent) out of five MLAs from the Congress, one (33 per cent) out of 3 MLAs from the Goa Forward Party, the lone (100 per cent) NCP MLA and one (33 per cent) out of the three Independent MLAs have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

Meanwhile, all 40 sitting MLAs are ‘crorepatis’ (those with assets of Rs 1 crore or more), the report said.

All 27 BJP MLAs, five Congress MLAs, three Goa Forward Party MLAs, one MLA each from the NCP and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak, and three Independent MLAs have declared assets valued more than Rs 1 crore, the ADR said.

Assembly polls are due in Goa next year.

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