Bihar’s newly elected MLAs show a striking contrast between educational qualifications and criminal records. Analysis of the newly elected legislators reveals that 40 per cent of them do not hold a college degree.
In other words, four out of every ten MLAs have not graduated but have still secured seats in the assembly. In today’s DNA episode, Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor of Zee News, analysed the educational and criminal backgrounds of the newly elected MLAs of Bihar:
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According to PRS Legislative Research, while 40 per cent of the MLAs are non-graduates, about 32 per cent are graduates. In the previous assembly, this figure was slightly higher, with 40% of legislators holding a graduate degree in 2020. Meanwhile, the proportion of MLAs with postgraduate degrees has increased from 23 per cent in the last assembly to 28 per cent this time.
The situation is particularly notable among women legislators. Out of 29 female MLAs in Bihar’s 243-member assembly, 15 have not graduated, meaning more than half of the women representatives lack a college degree. In the previous assembly, there were 26 women MLAs.
However, while education may be lacking, the criminal records of the new MLAs are significant. According to ADR, 130 out of 243 MLAs—over 53 per cent—have pending criminal cases. Among them, 102 have declared serious criminal charges in their election affidavits. Although slightly lower than 2020, when 123 candidates reported serious charges, the numbers remain high.
Among these 130 candidates, six have disclosed cases related to murder, while 19 have cases related to attempted murder.
Party-wise, 43 of 89 BJP winners, 23 of 85 JDU winners, 14 of 25 RJD winners, and four of five AIMIM winners face serious criminal cases. This means 80% of AIMIM MLAs have serious criminal cases registered against them.
The data highlights a striking reality: while many of Bihar’s newly elected MLAs may lack formal education, a significant number have criminal backgrounds. The situation underlines a stark contrast between academic qualifications and other forms of experience in the state’s political landscape.
