Shocking Findings on Kerala Legislators: Crime and Wealth Revealed

Analysis of Kerala's Political Landscape

The report from ADR indicates that a review of the affidavits of these legislators revealed that 92 of them have pending criminal cases. Among these, 33 legislators, which is about 25 percent, have disclosed serious criminal charges, including allegations of murder and attempted murder.

Specifically, two legislators have reported pending cases under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to murder, while three face charges under Section 307 for attempted murder. Additionally, three legislators have acknowledged cases related to crimes against women, including one case of rape.

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Party-wise statistics reveal that 43 out of 58 legislators (74 percent) from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) are facing criminal charges, while 19 out of 21 legislators (90 percent) from the Indian National Congress have similar pending cases. Other parties, such as the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), reported 44 percent and 86 percent of their legislators, respectively, declaring such cases.

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On the financial front, 72 legislators (55 percent) have declared assets exceeding one crore rupees. The total wealth of all 132 legislators amounts to 363.78 crore rupees, with an average asset value of 2.75 crore rupees per legislator. Among political parties, all legislators from Kerala Congress (M), Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Kerala Congress have declared assets over one crore rupees. Notably, 86 percent of IUML legislators fall into the millionaire category, followed by 62 percent from Congress and 40 percent from CPI (M).

The report identifies Congress legislator Mathew Kuzhalnadan as the wealthiest, with assets exceeding 34 crore rupees. He is followed by independent legislator Mani C Kappan, whose assets are over 27 crore rupees, and Kerala Congress (B) legislator K B Ganesh Kumar, with assets exceeding 19 crore rupees. Conversely, CPI (M) legislator P P Sumod has declared assets of only about 9.9 lakh rupees, making him the least wealthy legislator.

Demographically, 61 percent of the legislators hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 36 percent have completed education between the fifth and twelfth grades. Only 11 legislators (eight percent) are women. In terms of age distribution, 70 percent of the legislators are between 51 and 80 years old, while 30 percent fall within the 25 to 50 age range.