The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has revealed that 151 sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) across India are facing criminal cases related to crimes against women. The data also shows that 16 of these cases involve rape, under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The report, prepared by ADR along with the National Election Watch (NEW), analyzed election affidavits submitted by 4,693 sitting legislators — including 755 MPs and 3,938 MLAs — from across 28 states and 8 union territories. The findings show that 3.22 percent of the elected representatives have declared criminal cases involving crimes against women, including rape, sexual harassment, assault, and dowry-related deaths.
Among political parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leads the list with 54 accused lawmakers — 44 MLAs and 10 MPs. This makes up over one-third (35.76%) of the total. The Indian National Congress (INC) follows with 23 (22 MLAs and one MP). The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has 17 MLAs, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has 13 MLAs, and the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has 10 MLAs accused of crimes against women. 
When it comes specifically to rape charges, both BJP and Congress have five accused members each, while other parties such as TDP, AAP, AITC, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and smaller groups including AIUDF and Bharat Adivasi Party each have one case.
The report also highlights state-wise figures, with West Bengal showing the highest number of accused legislators, followed by Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh. Assam also finds mention in the report, with AIUDF MP Nijam Uddin Choudhury accused in a rape case. Several other states, including Odisha and Telangana, have legislators facing similar charges.
Some of the well-known names include Goa BJP MP Atanasio Monserrate, who has been facing a rape case since 2019, and BJP MP Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao from Telangana, who has one rape charge against him. The report also mentions INC MLA Vinay Kulkarni from Maharashtra, who has three rape cases, and AAP MLA Mohinder Goyal from Punjab. Other names include BJD MLA Braja Kishore Pradhan from Odisha and TDP MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar from Andhra Pradesh, who face multiple charges of harassment and sexual violence.
According to the ADR report, most of these cases are still pending trial, and none of the accused have been convicted so far. In many instances, the legal process has been delayed for years, with cases stretching back to incidents reported between 1979 and 2024. Some were also registered during the COVID-19 period.
The ADR has made several recommendations to address this growing problem. It has urged the government to bring a law that bans candidates with pending cases of serious crimes, especially those involving women, from contesting elections. It has also suggested speedy trials within one year, greater powers for women’s commissions, and public disclosure by political parties about candidates with criminal records.
Women’s rights activists have strongly reacted to the findings. Kavita Krishnan of the All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) called it “a national shame” and criticized the political system for failing women. “When people accused of rape make the laws, justice becomes meaningless,” she said in a social media post.
Political parties, however, have given mixed reactions. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra called the report “politically biased,” claiming that the party has already removed some tainted members. On the other hand, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “Clean politics must start from within. The BJP’s numbers show how deep the problem runs.”
The ADR also reminded that in 2020, the Supreme Court had directed political parties to disclose the criminal background of their candidates. Despite this, compliance remains weak, with many parties failing to give valid reasons for fielding tainted candidates.
