Over 75 percent winners in Rajya Sabha poll millionaires

NEW DELHI - Over three-fourths of the winners in the just concluded Rajya Sabha polls are millionaires, while more than one-fourth have criminal cases pending against them, an election watchdog said Saturday.

Biennial elections for 55 Rajya Sabha seats were held June 14 and June 17.

An analysis of the affidavits of candidates for 49 Rajya Sabha seats from 12 states was done by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch. The affidavits for six Tamil Nadu seats were, however, not made available by the Election Commission, the organisation said.

The ADR found that 28 percent or 15 candidates had listed criminal cases against themselves, with six of them having serious charges of attempted to murder, wrongful confinement and related to cheating and forgery.

All these candidates, including Bahujan Samaj Party’s S.P. Singh Baghel who faces charges of attempt to murder and Independent Vijay Mallya, with charges related to the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act and cheating pending against him, won the elections.

Out of the 16 candidates nominated by Congress, three have criminal cases against them. Both the candidates of Nationalist Congress Party have criminal cases against them.

Further, according to ADR, about 80 percent of the 54 candidates were “crorepatis” or millionaires, with their average assets being Rs 24.45 crore.

Among the winners, the proportion of millionaires was 77 percent, with average asset being Rs 25.24 crore.