election2009 result
Alliance Trends/Tally
Alliance TALLY TALLY:SWING TRENDS TRENDS:SWING
UPA 256 69 256 69
NDA 158 6 158 6
THIRDFRONT 80 18 80 18
FOURTHFRONT 27 40 27 40
OTHERS 22 5 22 5
Party Wise Trends/Tally
Alliance PARTY BREAKUP TALLY TALLY:SWING TRENDS TRENDS:SWING
UPA INC 206 55 206 55
UPA NCP 9 1 9 1
UPA JMM 2 3 2 3
UPA AITC 19 17 19 17
UPA RPI(A) 0 1 0 1
UPA IUML 0 0 0 0
UPA AIMIM 1 0 1 0
UPA SDF 1 0 1 0
UPA DMK 18 2 18 2
NDA BJP 116 15 116 15
NDA SHS 11 0 11 0
NDA JD(U) 20 12 20 12
NDA SAD 4 4 4 4
NDA INLD 0 0 0 0
NDA AGP 1 1 1 1
NDA RLD 5 2 5 2
NDA NPF 1 0 1 0
THIRDFRONT BJD 14 3 14 3
THIRDFRONT CPI 4 6 4 6
THIRDFRONT CPM 16 27 16 27
THIRDFRONT RSP 2 1 2 1
THIRDFRONT AIFB 2 1 2 1
THIRDFRONT TDP 6 2 6 2
THIRDFRONT TRS 2 1 2 1
THIRDFRONT AIADMK 9 9 9 9
THIRDFRONT JD(S) 3 0 3 0
THIRDFRONT BSP 21 3 21 3
THIRDFRONT HJCBL 1 1 1 1
FOURTHFRONT SP 23 16 23 16
FOURTHFRONT RJD 4 20 4 20
FOURTHFRONT LJP 0 4 0 4
Key Candidates
Candidate Constituency Party Status
K. CHANDRASEKHAR RAO Mahbubnagar Telangana Rashtra Samithi Won
RENUKA CHOWDHURY Khammam Indian National Congress LOST (FEMALE)
YERRNNAIDU KINJARAPU Srikakulam Telugu Desam LOST
PRAKASH JHA Paschim Champaran Lok Jan Shakti Party LOST
SHARAD YADAV Madhepura Janata Dal (United) Won
KIRTI AZAD Darbhanga Bharatiya Janata Party Won
GEORGE FERNANDES Muzaffarpur Independent LOST
LALU PRASAD Saran Rashtriya Janata Dal Won
SYED SHAHNAWAZ HUSSAIN Bhagalpur Bharatiya Janata Party Won
SHEKHAR SUMAN Patna Sahib Indian National Congress LOST
SHATRUGHAN SINHA Patna Sahib Bharatiya Janata Party Won
LALU PRASAD Pataliputra Rashtriya Janata Dal LOST
MEIRA KUMAR Sasaram Indian National Congress WON (FEMALE)
L.K.ADVANI Gandhinagar Bharatiya Janata Party Won
VAGHELA SHANKARSINH LAXMANSINH Panchmahal Indian National Congress LOST
NAVEEN JINDAL Kurukshetra Indian National Congress Won
BHAJAN LAL S/O KHERAJ Hisar Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) Won
DEEPENDER SINGH Rohtak Indian National Congress Won
FAROOQ ABDULLAH Srinagar Jammu & Kashmir National Conference Won
PRALHAD JOSHI Dharwad Bharatiya Janata Party Won
S. BANGARAPPA Shimoga Indian National Congress LOST
H. D. DEVEGOWDA Hassan Janata Dal (Secular) Won
H.D.KUMARASWAMY Bangalore Rural Janata Dal (Secular) Won
ANANTH KUMAR Bangalore South Bharatiya Janata Party Won
SHASHI THAROOR Thiruvananthapuram Indian National Congress Won
YASHODHARA RAJE SCINDIA GWALIOR Bharatiya Janata Party WON (FEMALE)
JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA GUNA Indian National Congress Won
ASLAM SHER KHAN SAGAR Indian National Congress LOST
VEENA SINGH (VEENA DIDI) SIDHI Independent LOST (FEMALE)
FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE MANDLA Bharatiya Janata Party LOST
KAMAL NATH CHHINDWARA Indian National Congress Won
SUSHMA SWARAJ VIDISHA Bharatiya Janata Party WON (FEMALE)
KAILASH JOSHI BHOPAL Bharatiya Janata Party Won
SUMITRA MAHAJAN (TAI) INDORE Bharatiya Janata Party WON (FEMALE)
RAM NAIK Mumbai North Bharatiya Janata Party LOST
DUTT PRIYA SUNIL Mumbai North central Indian National Congress WON (FEMALE)
DEORA MILIND MURLI Mumbai South Indian National Congress Won
KALMADI SURESH Pune Indian National Congress Won
SUPRIYA SULE Baramati Nationalist Congress Party WON (FEMALE)
MUNDE GOPINATHRAO PANDURANG Beed Bharatiya Janata Party Won
SHINDE SUSHILKUMAR SAMBHAJIRAO Solapur Indian National Congress Won
PAWAR SHARADCHANDRA GOVINDRAO Madha Nationalist Congress Party Won
GIRIDHAR GAMANG Koraput Indian National Congress LOST
VINOD KHANNA Gurdaspur Bharatiya Janata Party LOST
NAVJOT SINGH SIDHU Amritsar Bharatiya Janata Party Won
MANISH TEWARI Ludhiana Indian National Congress Won
KIRORI SINGH BAINSLA TONK-SAWAI MADHOPUR Bharatiya Janata Party LOST
MANVENDRA SINGH Barmer Bharatiya Janata Party LOST
DUSHYANT SINGH JHALAWAR-BARAN Bharatiya Janata Party Won
DAYANIDHI MARAN Chennai central Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Won
CHIDAMBARAM P Sivaganga Indian National Congress Won
VAIKO Virudhunagar Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam LOST
MOHAMMED AZHARUDDIN Moradabad Indian National Congress Won
MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI Rampur Bharatiya Janata Party LOST
JAYA PRADA NAHATA Rampur Samajwadi Party WON (FEMALE)
AJIT SINGH Baghpat Rashtriya Lok Dal Won
RAJNATH SINGH Ghaziabad Bharatiya Janata Party Won
JAYANT CHAUDHARY Mathura Rashtriya Lok Dal Won
RAMJI LAL SUMAN Agra Samajwadi Party LOST
RAJ BABBAR Fatehpur sikri Indian National Congress LOST
AKHILESH YADAV Firozabad Samajwadi Party Won
MULAYAM SINGH YADAV Mainpuri Samajwadi Party Won
KALYAN SINGH R O MADHOLI Etah Independent Won
MENKA GANDHI Aonla Bharatiya Janata Party WON (FEMALE)
SANTOSH GANGWAR Bareilly Bharatiya Janata Party LOST
FEROZE VARUN GANDHI Pilibhit Bharatiya Janata Party Won
KUNWAR JITIN PRASAD Dhaurahra Indian National Congress Won
DR. AKHILESH DAS GUPTA Lucknow Bahujan Samaj Party LOST
LAL JI TANDON Lucknow Bharatiya Janata Party Won
SONIA GANDHI Rae bareli Indian National Congress WON (FEMALE)
RAHUL GANDHI Amethi Indian National Congress Won
AKHILESH YADAV Kannauj Samajwadi Party Won
SRI PRAKASH JAISWAL Kanpur Indian National Congress Won
VINAY KATIYAR Ambedkar Nagar Bharatiya Janata Party LOST
ADITYANATH Gorakhpur Bharatiya Janata Party Won
MANOJ TIWARI MRIDUL Gorakhpur Samajwadi Party LOST
NEERAJ SHEKHAR Ballia Samajwadi Party Won
DR. MURLI MANOHAR JOSHI Varanasi Bharatiya Janata Party Won
JASWANT SINGH Darjeeling Bharatiya Janata Party Won
DEEPA DASMUNSI Raiganj Indian National Congress WON (FEMALE)
PRANAB MUKHERJEE Jangipur Indian National Congress Won
TAPAN SIKDAR Dum dum Bharatiya Janata Party LOST
MAMATA BANERJEE Kolkata Dakshin All India Trinamool Congress WON (FEMALE)
MD. SALIM Kolkata Uttar Communist Party of India (Marxist) LOST
ACHARIA BASUDEB Bankura Communist Party of India (Marxist) Won
DILIP SINGH JUDEV BILASPUR Bharatiya Janata Party Won
SHIBU SOREN Dumka Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Won
SUBODH KANT SAHAY Ranchi Indian National Congress Won
ARJUN MUNDA Jamshedpur Bharatiya Janata Party Won
YASHWANT SINHA Hazaribagh Bharatiya Janata Party Won
JASPAL RANA Tehri Garhwal Bharatiya Janata Party LOST
SATPAL MAHARAJ Garhwal Indian National Congress Won
KAPIL SIBAL CHANDNI CHOWK Indian National Congress Won
SANDEEP DIKSHIT EAST DELHI Indian National Congress Won
AJAY MAKAN NEW DELHI Indian National Congress Won
PAWAN KUMAR BANSAL Chandigarh Indian National Congress Won
State Wise Party Trends/Tally
STATE ALLIANCE PARTY TALLY TALLY:SWING TRENDS TRENDS:SWING
Andhra Pradesh TDP+ CPM 0 1 0 1
Andhra Pradesh TDP+ CPI 0 1 0 1
Andhra Pradesh TDP+ TDP 6 2 6 2
Andhra Pradesh CONG INC 33 2 33 2
Andhra Pradesh BJP+ BJP 0 0 0 0
Andhra Pradesh BJP+ TRS 2 1 2 1
Andhra Pradesh PRAP PRAP 0 0 0 0
Andhra Pradesh OTHERS OTHERS 1 1 1 1
Arunachal Pradesh CONG INC 2 2 2 2
Arunachal Pradesh BJP BJP 0 2 0 2
Arunachal Pradesh AC AC 0 0 0 0
Arunachal Pradesh OTHERS OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Assam BJP+ AGP 1 1 1 1
Assam BJP+ BJP 4 2 4 2
Assam CONG INC 7 2 7 2
Assam OTHERS OTHERS 2 1 2 1
Bihar BJP+ BJP 12 7 12 7
Bihar BJP+ JD(U) 20 14 20 14
Bihar RJD+ LJP 0 4 0 4
Bihar RJD+ RJD 4 18 4 18
Bihar CONG INC 2 1 2 1
Bihar OTHERS OTHERS 2 2 2 2
Goa BJP BJP 1 0 1 0
Goa CONG+ NCP 0 0 0 0
Goa CONG+ INC 1 0 1 0
Goa OTHERS OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Gujarat CONG INC 11 1 11 1
Gujarat BJP BJP 15 1 15 1
Gujarat OTHERS OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Haryana CONG INC 9 0 9 0
Haryana BJP+ BJP 0 1 0 1
Haryana BJP+ INLD 0 0 0 0
Haryana OTHERS OTHERS 1 1 1 1
Himachal Pradesh BJP BJP 3 2 3 2
Himachal Pradesh CONG INC 1 2 1 2
Himachal Pradesh OTHERS OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Jammu & Kashmir CONG INC 2 0 2 0
Jammu & Kashmir BJP BJP 0 0 0 0
Jammu & Kashmir NC JKN 3 1 3 1
Jammu & Kashmir PDP JKPDP 0 1 0 1
Jammu & Kashmir OTHERS OTHERS 1 0 1 0
Karnataka BJP BJP 19 3 19 3
Karnataka CONG INC 6 3 6 3
Karnataka JDS+ BSP 0 0 0 0
Karnataka JDS+ CPM 0 0 0 0
Karnataka JDS+ JD(S) 3 1 3 1
Karnataka JDS+ CPI 0 0 0 0
Karnataka OTHERS OTHERS 0 1 0 1
Kerala UDF INC 13 13 13 13
Kerala UDF MUL 2 1 2 1
Kerala LDF CPM 4 8 4 8
Kerala LDF KEC 0 1 0 1
Kerala LDF NCP 0 0 0 0
Kerala LDF JD(S) 0 1 0 1
Kerala BJP BJP 0 0 0 0
Kerala OTHERS OTHERS 1 4 1 4
Madhya Pradesh BJP BJP 16 8 16 8
Madhya Pradesh CONG INC 12 7 12 7
Madhya Pradesh BSP BSP 1 1 1 1
Madhya Pradesh SP SP 0 0 0 0
Madhya Pradesh OTHERS OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Maharashtra BJP+ BJP 9 3 9 3
Maharashtra BJP+ SHS 11 0 11 0
Maharashtra CONG+ NCP 8 2 8 2
Maharashtra CONG+ RPI 0 0 0 0
Maharashtra CONG+ INC 17 4 17 4
Maharashtra OTHERS OTHERS 3 1 3 1
Manipur CONG INC 2 1 2 1
Manipur BJP BJP 0 0 0 0
Manipur OTHERS OTHERS 0 1 0 1
Meghalaya CONG INC 1 0 1 0
Meghalaya OTHERS OTHERS 1 0 1 0
Nagaland CONG INC 0 0 0 0
Nagaland NPF NPF 1 0 1 0
Nagaland OTHERS OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Orissa BJP BJP 0 7 0 7
Orissa BJD+ BJD 14 3 14 3
Orissa BJD+ CPM 0 0 0 0
Orissa BJD+ CPI 1 1 1 1
Orissa CONG INC 6 4 6 4
Orissa OTHERS OTHERS 0 1 0 1
Punjab BJP+ SAD 4 4 4 4
Punjab BJP+ BJP 1 2 1 2
Punjab CONG INC 8 6 8 6
Punjab BSP BSP 0 0 0 0
Punjab OTHERS OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Rajasthan BJP BJP 4 17 4 17
Rajasthan CONG INC 20 16 20 16
Rajasthan BSP BSP 0 0 0 0
Rajasthan OTHERS OTHERS 1 1 1 1
Tamil Nadu AIADMK+ CPI 1 1 1 1
Tamil Nadu AIADMK+ AIADMK 9 9 9 9
Tamil Nadu AIADMK+ CPM 1 1 1 1
Tamil Nadu DMK+ DMK 18 2 18 2
Tamil Nadu DMK+ INC 8 2 8 2
Tamil Nadu BJP BJP 0 0 0 0
Tamil Nadu OTHERS OTHERS 2 7 2 7
Tripura CPM CPM 2 0 2 0
Tripura CONG INC 0 0 0 0
Tripura BJP BJP 0 0 0 0
Tripura OTHERS OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Uttar Pradesh BJP+ BJP 10 0 10 0
Uttar Pradesh BJP+ RLD 5 2 5 2
Uttar Pradesh CONG INC 21 12 21 12
Uttar Pradesh SP SP 23 14 23 14
Uttar Pradesh BSP BSP 20 2 20 2
Uttar Pradesh OTHERS OTHERS 1 2 1 2
West Bengal CONG+ INC 6 0 6 0
West Bengal CONG+ AITC 19 18 19 18
West Bengal LEFT CPM 9 17 9 17
West Bengal LEFT CPI 2 1 2 1
West Bengal LEFT AIFB 2 1 2 1
West Bengal BJP BJP 1 1 1 1
West Bengal OTHERS OTHERS 0 0 0 0
West Bengal OTHERS OTHERS 3 0 3 0
Chattisgarh CONG INC 1 1 1 1
Chattisgarh BJP BJP 10 1 10 1
Chattisgarh OTHERS OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Jharkhand BJP+ BJP 8 8 8 8
Jharkhand BJP+ JD(U) 0 0 0 0
Jharkhand CONG+ JMM 2 2 2 2
Jharkhand CONG+ INC 1 5 1 5
Jharkhand RJD+ LJP 0 0 0 0
Jharkhand RJD+ RJD 0 2 0 2
Jharkhand OTHERS OTHERS 3 1 3 1
Uttarakhand BJP BJP 0 2 0 2
Uttarakhand CONG INC 5 3 5 3
Uttarakhand SP SP 0 1 0 1
Uttarakhand BSP BSP 0 0 0 0
Uttarakhand OTHERS OTHERS 0 0 0 0
NCT OF Delhi CONG INC 7 1 7 1
NCT OF Delhi BJP BJP 0 1 0 1
NCT OF Delhi BSP BSP 0 0 0 0
NCT OF Delhi OTHERS OTHERS 0 0 0 0
State Wise Alliance Trends/Tally
STATE ALLIANCE TALLY TALLY:SWING TRENDS TRENDS:SWING
Andhra Pradesh TDP+ 6 0 6 0
Andhra Pradesh PRAP 0 0 0 0
Andhra Pradesh CONG 33 2 33 2
Andhra Pradesh BJP+ 2 1 2 1
Andhra Pradesh OTHERS 1 1 1 1
Arunachal Pradesh AC 0 0 0 0
Arunachal Pradesh BJP 0 2 0 2
Arunachal Pradesh OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Arunachal Pradesh CONG 2 2 2 2
Assam CONG 7 2 7 2
Assam OTHERS 2 1 2 1
Assam BJP+ 5 1 5 1
Bihar RJD+ 4 22 4 22
Bihar BJP+ 32 21 32 21
Bihar CONG 2 1 2 1
Bihar OTHERS 2 2 2 2
Chattisgarh CONG 1 1 1 1
Chattisgarh BJP 10 1 10 1
Chattisgarh OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Goa OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Goa BJP 1 0 1 0
Goa CONG+ 1 0 1 0
Gujarat CONG 11 1 11 1
Gujarat OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Gujarat BJP 15 1 15 1
Haryana CONG 9 0 9 0
Haryana OTHERS 1 1 1 1
Haryana BJP+ 0 1 0 1
Himachal Pradesh BJP 3 2 3 2
Himachal Pradesh CONG 1 2 1 2
Himachal Pradesh OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Jammu & Kashmir BJP 0 0 0 0
Jammu & Kashmir OTHERS 1 0 1 0
Jammu & Kashmir CONG 2 0 2 0
Jammu & Kashmir NC 3 1 3 1
Jammu & Kashmir PDP 0 1 0 1
Jharkhand CONG+ 3 7 3 7
Jharkhand OTHERS 3 1 3 1
Jharkhand RJD+ 0 2 0 2
Jharkhand BJP+ 8 8 8 8
Karnataka OTHERS 0 1 0 1
Karnataka BJP 19 3 19 3
Karnataka JDS+ 3 1 3 1
Karnataka CONG 6 3 6 3
Kerala UDF 15 14 15 14
Kerala BJP 0 0 0 0
Kerala OTHERS 1 4 1 4
Kerala LDF 4 10 4 10
Madhya Pradesh BSP 1 1 1 1
Madhya Pradesh CONG 12 7 12 7
Madhya Pradesh BJP 16 8 16 8
Madhya Pradesh OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Madhya Pradesh SP 0 0 0 0
Maharashtra BJP+ 20 3 20 3
Maharashtra OTHERS 3 1 3 1
Maharashtra CONG+ 25 2 25 2
Manipur OTHERS 0 1 0 1
Manipur BJP 0 0 0 0
Manipur CONG 2 1 2 1
Meghalaya CONG 1 0 1 0
Meghalaya OTHERS 1 0 1 0
Nagaland NPF 1 0 1 0
Nagaland OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Nagaland CONG 0 0 0 0
NCT OF Delhi BJP 0 1 0 1
NCT OF Delhi CONG 7 1 7 1
NCT OF Delhi BSP 0 0 0 0
NCT OF Delhi OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Orissa BJD+ 15 4 15 4
Orissa BJP 0 7 0 7
Orissa OTHERS 0 1 0 1
Orissa CONG 6 4 6 4
Punjab OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Punjab BSP 0 0 0 0
Punjab BJP+ 5 6 5 6
Punjab CONG 8 6 8 6
Rajasthan BJP 4 17 4 17
Rajasthan BSP 0 0 0 0
Rajasthan CONG 20 16 20 16
Rajasthan OTHERS 1 1 1 1
Tamil Nadu BJP 0 0 0 0
Tamil Nadu DMK+ 26 0 26 0
Tamil Nadu OTHERS 2 7 2 7
Tamil Nadu AIADMK+ 11 7 11 7
Tripura BJP 0 0 0 0
Tripura CPM 2 0 2 0
Tripura CONG 0 0 0 0
Tripura OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Uttar Pradesh BSP 20 2 20 2
Uttar Pradesh SP 23 14 23 14
Uttar Pradesh BJP+ 15 2 15 2
Uttar Pradesh OTHERS 1 2 1 2
Uttar Pradesh CONG 21 12 21 12
Uttarakhand BJP 0 2 0 2
Uttarakhand OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Uttarakhand SP 0 1 0 1
Uttarakhand BSP 0 0 0 0
Uttarakhand CONG 5 3 5 3
West Bengal LEFT 13 19 13 19
West Bengal CONG+ 25 18 25 18
West Bengal OTHERS 3 0 3 0
West Bengal BJP 1 1 1 1
State Region Wise Alliance Trends/Tally
STATE REGION ALLIANCE TALLY TALLY:SWING TRENDS TRENDS:SWING
Andhra Pradesh ANDHRA OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Andhra Pradesh ANDHRA TDP+ 2 0 2 0
Andhra Pradesh ANDHRA CONG 14 1 14 1
Andhra Pradesh ANDHRA BJP+ 0 1 0 1
Andhra Pradesh RAYALA SEEMA BJP+ 0 0 0 0
Andhra Pradesh RAYALA SEEMA CONG 7 1 7 1
Andhra Pradesh RAYALA SEEMA TDP+ 2 1 2 1
Andhra Pradesh RAYALA SEEMA OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Andhra Pradesh TELANGANA OTHERS 1 1 1 1
Andhra Pradesh TELANGANA TDP+ 2 1 2 1
Andhra Pradesh TELANGANA CONG 12 2 12 2
Andhra Pradesh TELANGANA BJP+ 2 0 2 0
Uttar Pradesh BUNDELKHAND OTHERS 1 1 1 1
Uttar Pradesh BUNDELKHAND SP 4 3 4 3
Uttar Pradesh BUNDELKHAND BSP 1 1 1 1
Uttar Pradesh BUNDELKHAND CONG 2 2 2 2
Uttar Pradesh BUNDELKHAND BJP+ 0 1 0 1
Uttar Pradesh CENTRAL UP BJP+ 1 1 1 1
Uttar Pradesh CENTRAL UP CONG 9 7 9 7
Uttar Pradesh CENTRAL UP BSP 4 3 4 3
Uttar Pradesh CENTRAL UP SP 7 3 7 3
Uttar Pradesh CENTRAL UP OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Uttar Pradesh EASTERN UP OTHERS 0 1 0 1
Uttar Pradesh EASTERN UP SP 6 3 6 3
Uttar Pradesh EASTERN UP BSP 8 1 8 1
Uttar Pradesh EASTERN UP CONG 6 3 6 3
Uttar Pradesh EASTERN UP BJP+ 4 2 4 2
Uttar Pradesh ROHILKHAND BJP+ 4 0 4 0
Uttar Pradesh ROHILKHAND CONG 4 2 4 2
Uttar Pradesh ROHILKHAND BSP 1 1 1 1
Uttar Pradesh ROHILKHAND SP 4 1 4 1
Uttar Pradesh ROHILKHAND OTHERS 0 2 0 2
Uttar Pradesh WESTERN UP OTHERS 0 0 0 0
Uttar Pradesh WESTERN UP SP 2 4 2 4
Uttar Pradesh WESTERN UP BSP 6 4 6 4
Uttar Pradesh WESTERN UP CONG 0 2 0 2
Uttar Pradesh WESTERN UP BJP+ 6 2 6 2
Daman & Diu 0 0 0 1 0
Lakshadweep 0 0 0 1 0
Region Wise Alliance Trends/Tally
REGION ALLIANCE TALLY TALLY:SWING TRENDS TRENDS:SWING
Central UPA 13 6 13 6
Central NDA 26 7 26 7
Central THIRDFRONT 1 1 1 1
Central FOURTHFRONT 0 0 0 0
Central OTHERS 0 0 0 0
East OTHERS 6 5 6 5
East FOURTHFRONT 4 24 4 24
East THIRDFRONT 30 17 30 17
East NDA 42 24 42 24
East UPA 36 12 36 12
North UPA 54 20 54 20
North NDA 23 7 23 7
North THIRDFRONT 21 3 21 3
North FOURTHFRONT 23 15 23 15
North OTHERS 5 1 5 1
North East OTHERS 2 1 2 1
North East FOURTHFRONT 0 0 0 0
North East THIRDFRONT 2 0 2 0
North East NDA 6 1 6 1
North East UPA 15 2 15 2
South UPA 81 14 81 14
South NDA 19 2 19 2
South THIRDFRONT 26 5 26 5
South FOURTHFRONT 0 1 0 1
South OTHERS 5 10 5 10
West OTHERS 4 2 4 2
West FOURTHFRONT 0 0 0 0
West THIRDFRONT 0 0 0 0
West NDA 42 17 42 17
West UPA 57 15 57 15
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
election2009
15th Lok Sabha has highest number of women MPs
New Delhi, A record 59 women MPs have been elected to the new Lok Sabha - the highest since independence, and 17 of them are less than 40 years.
According to PRS Legislative Research, an organisation that aims to strengthen legislative debate, among the 59 women MPs in the 15th Lok Sabha, a majority - 23 - are from the Congress. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 13 women members.
Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of 13 women MPs to represent the most populous state. It is followed by West Bengal with seven.
In the 15th Lok Sabha the number of MPs in the age group of 25-40 years has gone up drastically.
Fifteen percent of 543 MPs in the new lower house of the parliament are in this age group while in the 14th Lok Sabha the figure was only 6.3 percent, according to PRS Legislative Research.
In all, 556 women had contested the 2009 general elections, of which 59 were elected.
The lowest percentage of women representations was in the sixth Lok Sabha (1977-80) when there were only 3.8 percent women MPs.
The first Lok Sabha (1952-57) had 4.4 percent women MPs. In the 13th Lok Sabha (1999-2004), the figure was 9.2 percent, the research group said.
The research group said that women representatives in the age group of 40 to 60 has gone down. Now, less than 57 percent of women fall in this category as compared to over 73 percent in 2004.
But this time, women over 60 make a 13.80 percent, while it was a mere 9.8 percent in the 14th Lok Sabha.
According the PRS, the total percentage of MPs this time in the age group of 41-55 years has been the second lowest in the last 14 sessions with only 43 percent members belonging to the age group.
15th Lok Sabha has highest number of women MPs
New Delhi, A record 59 women MPs have been elected to the new Lok Sabha - the highest since independence, and 17 of them are less than 40 years.
According to PRS Legislative Research, an organisation that aims to strengthen legislative debate, among the 59 women MPs in the 15th Lok Sabha, a majority - 23 - are from the Congress. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 13 women members.
Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of 13 women MPs to represent the most populous state. It is followed by West Bengal with seven.
In the 15th Lok Sabha the number of MPs in the age group of 25-40 years has gone up drastically.
Fifteen percent of 543 MPs in the new lower house of the parliament are in this age group while in the 14th Lok Sabha the figure was only 6.3 percent, according to PRS Legislative Research.
In all, 556 women had contested the 2009 general elections, of which 59 were elected.
The lowest percentage of women representations was in the sixth Lok Sabha (1977-80) when there were only 3.8 percent women MPs.
The first Lok Sabha (1952-57) had 4.4 percent women MPs. In the 13th Lok Sabha (1999-2004), the figure was 9.2 percent, the research group said.
The research group said that women representatives in the age group of 40 to 60 has gone down. Now, less than 57 percent of women fall in this category as compared to over 73 percent in 2004.
But this time, women over 60 make a 13.80 percent, while it was a mere 9.8 percent in the 14th Lok Sabha.
According the PRS, the total percentage of MPs this time in the age group of 41-55 years has been the second lowest in the last 14 sessions with only 43 percent members belonging to the age group.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
2009 general election
Women MPs, MLAs too have criminal records
New Delhi, 2009 Guess what? Kerala, Bihar and Chhattisgarh are the states with the highest
percentage of women legislators with criminal records while Assam, Jharkhand and Rajasthan
are some of the cleanest, says a study.
On the whole, about 13 percent of women legislators in states and 14 percent of women MPs in
the 14th Lok Sabha had criminal records, says the study by PRS Legislative Research based on
affidavits filed by candidates with the Election Commission up to 2007.
The study by the independent research initiative suggests that women leaders don't lag behind
when it comes to having criminal records or amassing wealth.
A total of 51 women are in the 545-member Lok Sabha while 280 are women among 4,120
legislators across all state assemblies.
The survey shows that 83 percent women legislators have criminal records in Kerala, while the
figure is 25 percent for Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
The other states that have women MLAs with criminal records are Madhya Pradesh (22 percent),
Karnataka (20 percent), Tamil Nadu (19 percent), Haryana and Orissa (18 percent), Maharashtra
and Punjab (17 percent), Uttar Pradesh (13 percent), Andhra Pradesh (eight percent) and West
Bengal (six percent).
However, in 11 states, women legislators do not have any kind of criminal record. The states are
Assam, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim,
Tripura and Uttarakhand.
The survey names seven women MPs with criminal charges, and topping the list is Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati who has in the past been booked for cheating, forgery and
criminal conspiracy. She is no longer an MP as she is now Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
There are two from Kerala -- the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) P. Satheedevi and
C.S. Sujatha -- booked for unlawful assembly and rioting. Also in the list of women MPs 'with
criminal charges' based on affidavits filed in 2004 is Suryakanta Patil from the Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP), accused of misusing a charitable institution.
Two Shiv Sena MPs are there too, Narhire Kalpana Ramesh for wrongful restraint and Bhavana
Pundlikrao under the Bombay Police Act.
Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury appears in the list for obstructing a
public servant in discharging his duties.
Anil Bairwal, national coordinator of the Association for Democratic Reforms and National
Election Watch, said he is not surprised by the findings.
'It is easy to see that such women are either the wife or a relative of an influential politician. How
did they come on top in politics - by depending on men. In such a situation, it is not surprising to
find them involved in corruption or criminal cases,' said Bairwal, whose organisations work for
improving governance and strengthening democracy.
The survey also states that many women legislators are richer than their male counterparts.
Over 30 percent of women MPs have assets worth more than Rs.1.5 crore. The figure is 14.3
percent for members of legislative assemblies (MLAs).
Similarly, 26 percent of women MPs have assets between Rs.50 lakh and Rs.1.5 crore while the
figure is 21 percent for MLAs.
In Himachal Pradesh, most women MLAs' assets have been put at more than Rs.1.5 crore.
'Three of the five women MLAs in Himachal Pradesh have household assets worth more than
Rs.1.5 crore.'
Richest politicians
A lean bare man on the banks of a river near Champaran, his eyes moist with sadness, letting go
of his shawl for a poor woman downstream to cover herself and her child. This poignant moment
from Richard Attenborough's biopic on Gandhi is perhaps the most eloquent image of selfless
politics.
The gentle giant loved as Bapu and revered as the Mahatma epitomised the philosophy of public
service as one who gave up everything to be one among the huddled millions. Nearly a century
later there is little evidence in reel or real life of the high moral ground once straddled by that
generation.
The brazen parade of the Prada Prado set zipping across cities in cavalcades, appropriating
security funded by public money is evidence that politics has since morphed into a largely self-
serving enterprise. The pretense of khadi and Gandhian values went out of vogue with the
Gandhi cap long before the Gucci generation stormed the political arena in the 1980s.
The transition is best described by Rajiv Gandhi who said at the Congress Centenary in Mumbai
in 1985 that politics has been reduced to brokers of power and influence, who dispense
patronage to convert mass movement into feudal oligarchy . Yes there are those who enter
politics to serve the public cause but they are exceptions rather than the rule. Entering public life
is now an investment of time and effort for dividends to be earned from political
entrepreneurship. A joint study by INDIA TODAY and EmpoweringIndia.org (an initiative of the
Liberty Institute) of the reported assets of our elected representatives reveals a startling contrast
between the rulers and the ruled.
In a country where over 77 per cent of the populace, or an estimated 836 million people, earn an
income of Rs 20 per day and over 300 million are living below the poverty line, nearly half the
Rajya Sabha members and nearly a third of those from the Lok Sabha are worth a crore and
more. Just the top ten Rajya Sabha members and the top ten Lok Sabha members have
reported a cumulative net asset worth Rs 1,500 crore. The 10 top losers in the last Lok Sabha
polls including Nyimthungo of Nagaland who reported total assets of Rs 9,005 crore is Rs 9,329
crore. Members of legislative assemblies seem wealthier than many MPs. The top five MLAs
across the 30 states are worth Rs 2,042 crore. Of these 150 crorepati MLAs, 59 don't even have
a PAN card.
1. T. Subbarami Reddy
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Andhra Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 239.6 cr
2. Jaya Bachchan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 214.3 cr
3. Rahul Bajaj
Independent
Rajya Sabha, Maharashtra
Total Assets: Rs 190. 6 cr
4. Anil H. Lad
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 175 cr
5. M. Krishnappa
Indian National Congress
MLA, Vijay Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 136 cr
6. MAM Ramaswamy
Janata Dal (Secular)
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets Rs 107.7 cr
7. Anand Singh
BJP
MLA, Vijayanagara, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 239 cr
8. Anil V. Salgaocar
Independent
MLA, Sanvordem, Goa
Total Assets: Rs 91.4 cr
9. N.A. Haris
Indian National Congress
MLA, Shanti Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 85.3 cr
10. Mahendra Mohan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 85 cr
And don't look for a correlation between the state of the state and the wealth of the legislators.
Uttar Pradesh boasts of the largest number of people 59 million or over a third of its population
living below the poverty line. Not only is Mayawati the richest chief minister in 30 states, the
state also boasts of 113 crorepati MLAs. Similarly, Madhya Pradesh which has over 25 million of
the 60 million people living below the poverty line boasts of 80 crorepati MLAs. The Marxists are
the stark exception in this study too. The CPI(M) has 301 MLAs across 10 states but has only two
MLAs with declared assets of over Rs 1 crore. Of the 537 candidates who contested on a CPI(M)
ticket, only seven had assets of over Rs 1 crore, of which five lost in the elections.
As the old maxim goes, power begets power and money attracts riches. Clearly, it pays to be in
power. Take the last round of Assembly elections which afforded the study an opportunity to
compare the increase in wealth. In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where the BJP was in power,
the average assets of candidates increased by five times.
In Karnataka too where the Congress ruled in rotation with Deve Gowda's JD(S), Congress
candidates reported a fivefold rise in their assets. Mercifully, wealth doesn't always ensure
success. In all, 365 crorepatis contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2004; 88 lost their deposits,
and 114 came second.
Last December in Delhi the Congress learnt this important lesson again when they found that
Congress candidates who lost in Delhi were on an average richer than those who won. But
wealth clearly does matter, all other things being constant.
The caveat emptor here, as with all matters concerning transparency in public life, is that we are
going by what the political class has chosen to declare. After all, the statement of assets filed by
candidates is at best a confession of sorts mandated by two Supreme Court judgements of May
2002 and March 2003.
There are several gaps in the information available. Of the 542 Lok Sabha members, details of
assets are available for only 522. Similarly in the Rajya Sabha, only 215 members have filed
details of assets.
There is no institutional mechanism to cross-check facts, nor is there a requirement for
candidates to declare the source of wealth, or the increase in wealth of candidates in subsequent
declarations. In Mizoram for instance, none of the 10 top candidates have reported possessing a
PAN card even though their wealth is in excess of Rs 1 crore.
What is worse is that although MPs who are ministers file annual statements of their assets, the
information is not available to the public. This virtually negates the concept of scrutiny that would
prevent misuse of position of power and enrichment. Indeed, what should be openly available is
denied even under the Right to Information Act.
It is tragic that the Office of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who has been described as
w‰>ÿÿ‹>s Dÿÿ"DoVDk
o deny the information. Again, while Central ministers are required to file a statement of assets,
there is no such requirement for ministers in states.
The adulterous cohabitation of power and pelf is conspicuous across the political spectrum. The
chasm between the declared and perceived reality is all too obvious to be missed. Contrast the
wealth reported and wealthy lifestyles of those elected to high office.
Clearly the tip of the benami iceberg has not even been touched. In a country with a stark
asymmetry in opportunities and ability, political power enables bending and twisting of policy,
converting politics into the elevator politicians ride to reach the pot of gold. Living room
conversations in middle and upper middle class homes are dotted with whose son, daughter or
son-in-law is raking it in using the benami route to accumulate property and assets.
Television footage of currency notes being waved in Parliament during the last trust vote, the
airborne campaigns witnessed during the polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, money spent
in fielding dummy candidates, funding of party offices, travel in Toyota SUVs costing over Rs 75
lakh each and private charters that politicians avail of to fly within the country are all pointers that
are hard to ignore.
Bankers and brokers talk in not so hushed tones about the role of politicians in corporate scams.
There is also speculation about the real beneficiary and benami ownership of at least two
airlines, several real estate ventures, pharmaceutical units and infrastructure companies. The
corporate concept of 'sleeping partner' has a whole new connotation in the political world. As long
as the real incomes, wealth and funding of politicians remain opaque, governance will continue
to suffer and democracy will be rendered more often on the liability side in the balance sheet of
development.
Television footage of currency notes being waved in Parliament during the last trust vote, the
airborne campaigns witnessed during the polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, money spent
in fielding dummy candidates, funding of party offices, travel in Toyota SUVs costing over Rs 75
lakh each and private charters that politicians avail of to fly within the country are all pointers that
are hard to ignore.
Bankers and brokers talk in not so hushed tones about the role of politicians in corporate scams.
There is also speculation about the real beneficiary and benami ownership of at least two
airlines, several real estate ventures, pharmaceutical units and infrastructure companies. The
corporate concept of 'sleeping partner' has a whole new connotation in the political world. As long
as the real incomes, wealth and funding of politicians remain opaque, governance will continue
to suffer and democracy will be rendered more often on the liability side in the balance sheet of
development.
Mamata declares her humble assets
Kolkata,While billionaire politicians are grabbing headlines, Trinamool Congress party chief
Mamata Banerjee Wednesday declared assets worth Rs.4.73 lakh (Rs.473,000). She does not
own a car or a house.
The 54-year-old Trinamool leader filed her nomination from the Kolkata-South Lok Sabha
constituency.
She has Rs.28,322 in cash and Rs.118,740 (Rs.1.8 lakh) in bank deposits, according to an
affidavit she submitted.
Banerjee - who has no bonds, debentures or shares in any company - has an investment of
Rs.302,600 in National Savings Certificates and Rs.10,000 in National Savings Scheme. Her
main source of income has been from her salary as an MP and royalty from books she has
authored.
The West Bengal opposition party chief owns about 10 gm of jewellery worth Rs.13,531 and has
no other type of movable assets.
Banerjee, a post-graduate with a law degree, has no bank loans pending against her and has
paid income tax of Rs.20,000 in advance for 2009-10, the affidavit states.
Banerjee's opponent from Kolkata South constituency Rabin Deb of the Communist Party of
India-Marxist has assets of over Rs.20 lakh (Rs.2 million).
Women MPs, MLAs too have criminal records
New Delhi, 2009 Guess what? Kerala, Bihar and Chhattisgarh are the states with the highest
percentage of women legislators with criminal records while Assam, Jharkhand and Rajasthan
are some of the cleanest, says a study.
On the whole, about 13 percent of women legislators in states and 14 percent of women MPs in
the 14th Lok Sabha had criminal records, says the study by PRS Legislative Research based on
affidavits filed by candidates with the Election Commission up to 2007.
The study by the independent research initiative suggests that women leaders don't lag behind
when it comes to having criminal records or amassing wealth.
A total of 51 women are in the 545-member Lok Sabha while 280 are women among 4,120
legislators across all state assemblies.
The survey shows that 83 percent women legislators have criminal records in Kerala, while the
figure is 25 percent for Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
The other states that have women MLAs with criminal records are Madhya Pradesh (22 percent),
Karnataka (20 percent), Tamil Nadu (19 percent), Haryana and Orissa (18 percent), Maharashtra
and Punjab (17 percent), Uttar Pradesh (13 percent), Andhra Pradesh (eight percent) and West
Bengal (six percent).
However, in 11 states, women legislators do not have any kind of criminal record. The states are
Assam, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim,
Tripura and Uttarakhand.
The survey names seven women MPs with criminal charges, and topping the list is Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati who has in the past been booked for cheating, forgery and
criminal conspiracy. She is no longer an MP as she is now Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
There are two from Kerala -- the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) P. Satheedevi and
C.S. Sujatha -- booked for unlawful assembly and rioting. Also in the list of women MPs 'with
criminal charges' based on affidavits filed in 2004 is Suryakanta Patil from the Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP), accused of misusing a charitable institution.
Two Shiv Sena MPs are there too, Narhire Kalpana Ramesh for wrongful restraint and Bhavana
Pundlikrao under the Bombay Police Act.
Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury appears in the list for obstructing a
public servant in discharging his duties.
Anil Bairwal, national coordinator of the Association for Democratic Reforms and National
Election Watch, said he is not surprised by the findings.
'It is easy to see that such women are either the wife or a relative of an influential politician. How
did they come on top in politics - by depending on men. In such a situation, it is not surprising to
find them involved in corruption or criminal cases,' said Bairwal, whose organisations work for
improving governance and strengthening democracy.
The survey also states that many women legislators are richer than their male counterparts.
Over 30 percent of women MPs have assets worth more than Rs.1.5 crore. The figure is 14.3
percent for members of legislative assemblies (MLAs).
Similarly, 26 percent of women MPs have assets between Rs.50 lakh and Rs.1.5 crore while the
figure is 21 percent for MLAs.
In Himachal Pradesh, most women MLAs' assets have been put at more than Rs.1.5 crore.
'Three of the five women MLAs in Himachal Pradesh have household assets worth more than
Rs.1.5 crore.'
Richest politicians
A lean bare man on the banks of a river near Champaran, his eyes moist with sadness, letting go
of his shawl for a poor woman downstream to cover herself and her child. This poignant moment
from Richard Attenborough's biopic on Gandhi is perhaps the most eloquent image of selfless
politics.
The gentle giant loved as Bapu and revered as the Mahatma epitomised the philosophy of public
service as one who gave up everything to be one among the huddled millions. Nearly a century
later there is little evidence in reel or real life of the high moral ground once straddled by that
generation.
The brazen parade of the Prada Prado set zipping across cities in cavalcades, appropriating
security funded by public money is evidence that politics has since morphed into a largely self-
serving enterprise. The pretense of khadi and Gandhian values went out of vogue with the
Gandhi cap long before the Gucci generation stormed the political arena in the 1980s.
The transition is best described by Rajiv Gandhi who said at the Congress Centenary in Mumbai
in 1985 that politics has been reduced to brokers of power and influence, who dispense
patronage to convert mass movement into feudal oligarchy . Yes there are those who enter
politics to serve the public cause but they are exceptions rather than the rule. Entering public life
is now an investment of time and effort for dividends to be earned from political
entrepreneurship. A joint study by INDIA TODAY and EmpoweringIndia.org (an initiative of the
Liberty Institute) of the reported assets of our elected representatives reveals a startling contrast
between the rulers and the ruled.
In a country where over 77 per cent of the populace, or an estimated 836 million people, earn an
income of Rs 20 per day and over 300 million are living below the poverty line, nearly half the
Rajya Sabha members and nearly a third of those from the Lok Sabha are worth a crore and
more. Just the top ten Rajya Sabha members and the top ten Lok Sabha members have
reported a cumulative net asset worth Rs 1,500 crore. The 10 top losers in the last Lok Sabha
polls including Nyimthungo of Nagaland who reported total assets of Rs 9,005 crore is Rs 9,329
crore. Members of legislative assemblies seem wealthier than many MPs. The top five MLAs
across the 30 states are worth Rs 2,042 crore. Of these 150 crorepati MLAs, 59 don't even have
a PAN card.
1. T. Subbarami Reddy
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Andhra Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 239.6 cr
2. Jaya Bachchan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 214.3 cr
3. Rahul Bajaj
Independent
Rajya Sabha, Maharashtra
Total Assets: Rs 190. 6 cr
4. Anil H. Lad
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 175 cr
5. M. Krishnappa
Indian National Congress
MLA, Vijay Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 136 cr
6. MAM Ramaswamy
Janata Dal (Secular)
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets Rs 107.7 cr
7. Anand Singh
BJP
MLA, Vijayanagara, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 239 cr
8. Anil V. Salgaocar
Independent
MLA, Sanvordem, Goa
Total Assets: Rs 91.4 cr
9. N.A. Haris
Indian National Congress
MLA, Shanti Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 85.3 cr
10. Mahendra Mohan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 85 cr
And don't look for a correlation between the state of the state and the wealth of the legislators.
Uttar Pradesh boasts of the largest number of people 59 million or over a third of its population
living below the poverty line. Not only is Mayawati the richest chief minister in 30 states, the
state also boasts of 113 crorepati MLAs. Similarly, Madhya Pradesh which has over 25 million of
the 60 million people living below the poverty line boasts of 80 crorepati MLAs. The Marxists are
the stark exception in this study too. The CPI(M) has 301 MLAs across 10 states but has only two
MLAs with declared assets of over Rs 1 crore. Of the 537 candidates who contested on a CPI(M)
ticket, only seven had assets of over Rs 1 crore, of which five lost in the elections.
As the old maxim goes, power begets power and money attracts riches. Clearly, it pays to be in
power. Take the last round of Assembly elections which afforded the study an opportunity to
compare the increase in wealth. In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where the BJP was in power,
the average assets of candidates increased by five times.
In Karnataka too where the Congress ruled in rotation with Deve Gowda's JD(S), Congress
candidates reported a fivefold rise in their assets. Mercifully, wealth doesn't always ensure
success. In all, 365 crorepatis contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2004; 88 lost their deposits,
and 114 came second.
Last December in Delhi the Congress learnt this important lesson again when they found that
Congress candidates who lost in Delhi were on an average richer than those who won. But
wealth clearly does matter, all other things being constant.
The caveat emptor here, as with all matters concerning transparency in public life, is that we are
going by what the political class has chosen to declare. After all, the statement of assets filed by
candidates is at best a confession of sorts mandated by two Supreme Court judgements of May
2002 and March 2003.
There are several gaps in the information available. Of the 542 Lok Sabha members, details of
assets are available for only 522. Similarly in the Rajya Sabha, only 215 members have filed
details of assets.
There is no institutional mechanism to cross-check facts, nor is there a requirement for
candidates to declare the source of wealth, or the increase in wealth of candidates in subsequent
declarations. In Mizoram for instance, none of the 10 top candidates have reported possessing a
PAN card even though their wealth is in excess of Rs 1 crore.
What is worse is that although MPs who are ministers file annual statements of their assets, the
information is not available to the public. This virtually negates the concept of scrutiny that would
prevent misuse of position of power and enrichment. Indeed, what should be openly available is
denied even under the Right to Information Act.
It is tragic that the Office of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who has been described as
w‰>ÿÿ‹>s Dÿÿ"DoVDk
o deny the information. Again, while Central ministers are required to file a statement of assets,
there is no such requirement for ministers in states.
The adulterous cohabitation of power and pelf is conspicuous across the political spectrum. The
chasm between the declared and perceived reality is all too obvious to be missed. Contrast the
wealth reported and wealthy lifestyles of those elected to high office.
Clearly the tip of the benami iceberg has not even been touched. In a country with a stark
asymmetry in opportunities and ability, political power enables bending and twisting of policy,
converting politics into the elevator politicians ride to reach the pot of gold. Living room
conversations in middle and upper middle class homes are dotted with whose son, daughter or
son-in-law is raking it in using the benami route to accumulate property and assets.
Television footage of currency notes being waved in Parliament during the last trust vote, the
airborne campaigns witnessed during the polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, money spent
in fielding dummy candidates, funding of party offices, travel in Toyota SUVs costing over Rs 75
lakh each and private charters that politicians avail of to fly within the country are all pointers that
are hard to ignore.
Bankers and brokers talk in not so hushed tones about the role of politicians in corporate scams.
There is also speculation about the real beneficiary and benami ownership of at least two
airlines, several real estate ventures, pharmaceutical units and infrastructure companies. The
corporate concept of 'sleeping partner' has a whole new connotation in the political world. As long
as the real incomes, wealth and funding of politicians remain opaque, governance will continue
to suffer and democracy will be rendered more often on the liability side in the balance sheet of
development.
Television footage of currency notes being waved in Parliament during the last trust vote, the
airborne campaigns witnessed during the polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, money spent
in fielding dummy candidates, funding of party offices, travel in Toyota SUVs costing over Rs 75
lakh each and private charters that politicians avail of to fly within the country are all pointers that
are hard to ignore.
Bankers and brokers talk in not so hushed tones about the role of politicians in corporate scams.
There is also speculation about the real beneficiary and benami ownership of at least two
airlines, several real estate ventures, pharmaceutical units and infrastructure companies. The
corporate concept of 'sleeping partner' has a whole new connotation in the political world. As long
as the real incomes, wealth and funding of politicians remain opaque, governance will continue
to suffer and democracy will be rendered more often on the liability side in the balance sheet of
development.
Mamata declares her humble assets
Kolkata,While billionaire politicians are grabbing headlines, Trinamool Congress party chief
Mamata Banerjee Wednesday declared assets worth Rs.4.73 lakh (Rs.473,000). She does not
own a car or a house.
The 54-year-old Trinamool leader filed her nomination from the Kolkata-South Lok Sabha
constituency.
She has Rs.28,322 in cash and Rs.118,740 (Rs.1.8 lakh) in bank deposits, according to an
affidavit she submitted.
Banerjee - who has no bonds, debentures or shares in any company - has an investment of
Rs.302,600 in National Savings Certificates and Rs.10,000 in National Savings Scheme. Her
main source of income has been from her salary as an MP and royalty from books she has
authored.
The West Bengal opposition party chief owns about 10 gm of jewellery worth Rs.13,531 and has
no other type of movable assets.
Banerjee, a post-graduate with a law degree, has no bank loans pending against her and has
paid income tax of Rs.20,000 in advance for 2009-10, the affidavit states.
Banerjee's opponent from Kolkata South constituency Rabin Deb of the Communist Party of
India-Marxist has assets of over Rs.20 lakh (Rs.2 million).
2009 general election
Women MPs, MLAs too have criminal records
New Delhi, 2009 Guess what? Kerala, Bihar and Chhattisgarh are the states with the highest
percentage of women legislators with criminal records while Assam, Jharkhand and Rajasthan
are some of the cleanest, says a study.
On the whole, about 13 percent of women legislators in states and 14 percent of women MPs in
the 14th Lok Sabha had criminal records, says the study by PRS Legislative Research based on
affidavits filed by candidates with the Election Commission up to 2007.
The study by the independent research initiative suggests that women leaders don't lag behind
when it comes to having criminal records or amassing wealth.
A total of 51 women are in the 545-member Lok Sabha while 280 are women among 4,120
legislators across all state assemblies.
The survey shows that 83 percent women legislators have criminal records in Kerala, while the
figure is 25 percent for Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
The other states that have women MLAs with criminal records are Madhya Pradesh (22 percent),
Karnataka (20 percent), Tamil Nadu (19 percent), Haryana and Orissa (18 percent), Maharashtra
and Punjab (17 percent), Uttar Pradesh (13 percent), Andhra Pradesh (eight percent) and West
Bengal (six percent).
However, in 11 states, women legislators do not have any kind of criminal record. The states are
Assam, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim,
Tripura and Uttarakhand.
The survey names seven women MPs with criminal charges, and topping the list is Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati who has in the past been booked for cheating, forgery and
criminal conspiracy. She is no longer an MP as she is now Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
There are two from Kerala -- the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) P. Satheedevi and
C.S. Sujatha -- booked for unlawful assembly and rioting. Also in the list of women MPs 'with
criminal charges' based on affidavits filed in 2004 is Suryakanta Patil from the Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP), accused of misusing a charitable institution.
Two Shiv Sena MPs are there too, Narhire Kalpana Ramesh for wrongful restraint and Bhavana
Pundlikrao under the Bombay Police Act.
Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury appears in the list for obstructing a
public servant in discharging his duties.
Anil Bairwal, national coordinator of the Association for Democratic Reforms and National
Election Watch, said he is not surprised by the findings.
'It is easy to see that such women are either the wife or a relative of an influential politician. How
did they come on top in politics - by depending on men. In such a situation, it is not surprising to
find them involved in corruption or criminal cases,' said Bairwal, whose organisations work for
improving governance and strengthening democracy.
The survey also states that many women legislators are richer than their male counterparts.
Over 30 percent of women MPs have assets worth more than Rs.1.5 crore. The figure is 14.3
percent for members of legislative assemblies (MLAs).
Similarly, 26 percent of women MPs have assets between Rs.50 lakh and Rs.1.5 crore while the
figure is 21 percent for MLAs.
In Himachal Pradesh, most women MLAs' assets have been put at more than Rs.1.5 crore.
'Three of the five women MLAs in Himachal Pradesh have household assets worth more than
Rs.1.5 crore.'
Richest politicians
A lean bare man on the banks of a river near Champaran, his eyes moist with sadness, letting go
of his shawl for a poor woman downstream to cover herself and her child. This poignant moment
from Richard Attenborough's biopic on Gandhi is perhaps the most eloquent image of selfless
politics.
The gentle giant loved as Bapu and revered as the Mahatma epitomised the philosophy of public
service as one who gave up everything to be one among the huddled millions. Nearly a century
later there is little evidence in reel or real life of the high moral ground once straddled by that
generation.
The brazen parade of the Prada Prado set zipping across cities in cavalcades, appropriating
security funded by public money is evidence that politics has since morphed into a largely self-
serving enterprise. The pretense of khadi and Gandhian values went out of vogue with the
Gandhi cap long before the Gucci generation stormed the political arena in the 1980s.
The transition is best described by Rajiv Gandhi who said at the Congress Centenary in Mumbai
in 1985 that politics has been reduced to brokers of power and influence, who dispense
patronage to convert mass movement into feudal oligarchy . Yes there are those who enter
politics to serve the public cause but they are exceptions rather than the rule. Entering public life
is now an investment of time and effort for dividends to be earned from political
entrepreneurship. A joint study by INDIA TODAY and EmpoweringIndia.org (an initiative of the
Liberty Institute) of the reported assets of our elected representatives reveals a startling contrast
between the rulers and the ruled.
In a country where over 77 per cent of the populace, or an estimated 836 million people, earn an
income of Rs 20 per day and over 300 million are living below the poverty line, nearly half the
Rajya Sabha members and nearly a third of those from the Lok Sabha are worth a crore and
more. Just the top ten Rajya Sabha members and the top ten Lok Sabha members have
reported a cumulative net asset worth Rs 1,500 crore. The 10 top losers in the last Lok Sabha
polls including Nyimthungo of Nagaland who reported total assets of Rs 9,005 crore is Rs 9,329
crore. Members of legislative assemblies seem wealthier than many MPs. The top five MLAs
across the 30 states are worth Rs 2,042 crore. Of these 150 crorepati MLAs, 59 don't even have
a PAN card.
1. T. Subbarami Reddy
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Andhra Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 239.6 cr
2. Jaya Bachchan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 214.3 cr
3. Rahul Bajaj
Independent
Rajya Sabha, Maharashtra
Total Assets: Rs 190. 6 cr
4. Anil H. Lad
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 175 cr
5. M. Krishnappa
Indian National Congress
MLA, Vijay Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 136 cr
6. MAM Ramaswamy
Janata Dal (Secular)
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets Rs 107.7 cr
7. Anand Singh
BJP
MLA, Vijayanagara, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 239 cr
8. Anil V. Salgaocar
Independent
MLA, Sanvordem, Goa
Total Assets: Rs 91.4 cr
9. N.A. Haris
Indian National Congress
MLA, Shanti Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 85.3 cr
10. Mahendra Mohan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 85 cr
And don't look for a correlation between the state of the state and the wealth of the legislators.
Uttar Pradesh boasts of the largest number of people 59 million or over a third of its population
living below the poverty line. Not only is Mayawati the richest chief minister in 30 states, the
state also boasts of 113 crorepati MLAs. Similarly, Madhya Pradesh which has over 25 million of
the 60 million people living below the poverty line boasts of 80 crorepati MLAs. The Marxists are
the stark exception in this study too. The CPI(M) has 301 MLAs across 10 states but has only two
MLAs with declared assets of over Rs 1 crore. Of the 537 candidates who contested on a CPI(M)
ticket, only seven had assets of over Rs 1 crore, of which five lost in the elections.
As the old maxim goes, power begets power and money attracts riches. Clearly, it pays to be in
power. Take the last round of Assembly elections which afforded the study an opportunity to
compare the increase in wealth. In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where the BJP was in power,
the average assets of candidates increased by five times.
In Karnataka too where the Congress ruled in rotation with Deve Gowda's JD(S), Congress
candidates reported a fivefold rise in their assets. Mercifully, wealth doesn't always ensure
success. In all, 365 crorepatis contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2004; 88 lost their deposits,
and 114 came second.
Last December in Delhi the Congress learnt this important lesson again when they found that
Congress candidates who lost in Delhi were on an average richer than those who won. But
wealth clearly does matter, all other things being constant.
The caveat emptor here, as with all matters concerning transparency in public life, is that we are
going by what the political class has chosen to declare. After all, the statement of assets filed by
candidates is at best a confession of sorts mandated by two Supreme Court judgements of May
2002 and March 2003.
There are several gaps in the information available. Of the 542 Lok Sabha members, details of
assets are available for only 522. Similarly in the Rajya Sabha, only 215 members have filed
details of assets.
There is no institutional mechanism to cross-check facts, nor is there a requirement for
candidates to declare the source of wealth, or the increase in wealth of candidates in subsequent
declarations. In Mizoram for instance, none of the 10 top candidates have reported possessing a
PAN card even though their wealth is in excess of Rs 1 crore.
What is worse is that although MPs who are ministers file annual statements of their assets, the
information is not available to the public. This virtually negates the concept of scrutiny that would
prevent misuse of position of power and enrichment. Indeed, what should be openly available is
denied even under the Right to Information Act.
It is tragic that the Office of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who has been described as
w‰>ÿÿ‹>s Dÿÿ"DoVDk
o deny the information. Again, while Central ministers are required to file a statement of assets,
there is no such requirement for ministers in states.
The adulterous cohabitation of power and pelf is conspicuous across the political spectrum. The
chasm between the declared and perceived reality is all too obvious to be missed. Contrast the
wealth reported and wealthy lifestyles of those elected to high office.
Clearly the tip of the benami iceberg has not even been touched. In a country with a stark
asymmetry in opportunities and ability, political power enables bending and twisting of policy,
converting politics into the elevator politicians ride to reach the pot of gold. Living room
conversations in middle and upper middle class homes are dotted with whose son, daughter or
son-in-law is raking it in using the benami route to accumulate property and assets.
Television footage of currency notes being waved in Parliament during the last trust vote, the
airborne campaigns witnessed during the polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, money spent
in fielding dummy candidates, funding of party offices, travel in Toyota SUVs costing over Rs 75
lakh each and private charters that politicians avail of to fly within the country are all pointers that
are hard to ignore.
Bankers and brokers talk in not so hushed tones about the role of politicians in corporate scams.
There is also speculation about the real beneficiary and benami ownership of at least two
airlines, several real estate ventures, pharmaceutical units and infrastructure companies. The
corporate concept of 'sleeping partner' has a whole new connotation in the political world. As long
as the real incomes, wealth and funding of politicians remain opaque, governance will continue
to suffer and democracy will be rendered more often on the liability side in the balance sheet of
development.
Television footage of currency notes being waved in Parliament during the last trust vote, the
airborne campaigns witnessed during the polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, money spent
in fielding dummy candidates, funding of party offices, travel in Toyota SUVs costing over Rs 75
lakh each and private charters that politicians avail of to fly within the country are all pointers that
are hard to ignore.
Bankers and brokers talk in not so hushed tones about the role of politicians in corporate scams.
There is also speculation about the real beneficiary and benami ownership of at least two
airlines, several real estate ventures, pharmaceutical units and infrastructure companies. The
corporate concept of 'sleeping partner' has a whole new connotation in the political world. As long
as the real incomes, wealth and funding of politicians remain opaque, governance will continue
to suffer and democracy will be rendered more often on the liability side in the balance sheet of
development.
Mamata declares her humble assets
Kolkata,While billionaire politicians are grabbing headlines, Trinamool Congress party chief
Mamata Banerjee Wednesday declared assets worth Rs.4.73 lakh (Rs.473,000). She does not
own a car or a house.
The 54-year-old Trinamool leader filed her nomination from the Kolkata-South Lok Sabha
constituency.
She has Rs.28,322 in cash and Rs.118,740 (Rs.1.8 lakh) in bank deposits, according to an
affidavit she submitted.
Banerjee - who has no bonds, debentures or shares in any company - has an investment of
Rs.302,600 in National Savings Certificates and Rs.10,000 in National Savings Scheme. Her
main source of income has been from her salary as an MP and royalty from books she has
authored.
The West Bengal opposition party chief owns about 10 gm of jewellery worth Rs.13,531 and has
no other type of movable assets.
Banerjee, a post-graduate with a law degree, has no bank loans pending against her and has
paid income tax of Rs.20,000 in advance for 2009-10, the affidavit states.
Banerjee's opponent from Kolkata South constituency Rabin Deb of the Communist Party of
India-Marxist has assets of over Rs.20 lakh (Rs.2 million).
Women MPs, MLAs too have criminal records
New Delhi, 2009 Guess what? Kerala, Bihar and Chhattisgarh are the states with the highest
percentage of women legislators with criminal records while Assam, Jharkhand and Rajasthan
are some of the cleanest, says a study.
On the whole, about 13 percent of women legislators in states and 14 percent of women MPs in
the 14th Lok Sabha had criminal records, says the study by PRS Legislative Research based on
affidavits filed by candidates with the Election Commission up to 2007.
The study by the independent research initiative suggests that women leaders don't lag behind
when it comes to having criminal records or amassing wealth.
A total of 51 women are in the 545-member Lok Sabha while 280 are women among 4,120
legislators across all state assemblies.
The survey shows that 83 percent women legislators have criminal records in Kerala, while the
figure is 25 percent for Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
The other states that have women MLAs with criminal records are Madhya Pradesh (22 percent),
Karnataka (20 percent), Tamil Nadu (19 percent), Haryana and Orissa (18 percent), Maharashtra
and Punjab (17 percent), Uttar Pradesh (13 percent), Andhra Pradesh (eight percent) and West
Bengal (six percent).
However, in 11 states, women legislators do not have any kind of criminal record. The states are
Assam, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim,
Tripura and Uttarakhand.
The survey names seven women MPs with criminal charges, and topping the list is Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati who has in the past been booked for cheating, forgery and
criminal conspiracy. She is no longer an MP as she is now Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
There are two from Kerala -- the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) P. Satheedevi and
C.S. Sujatha -- booked for unlawful assembly and rioting. Also in the list of women MPs 'with
criminal charges' based on affidavits filed in 2004 is Suryakanta Patil from the Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP), accused of misusing a charitable institution.
Two Shiv Sena MPs are there too, Narhire Kalpana Ramesh for wrongful restraint and Bhavana
Pundlikrao under the Bombay Police Act.
Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury appears in the list for obstructing a
public servant in discharging his duties.
Anil Bairwal, national coordinator of the Association for Democratic Reforms and National
Election Watch, said he is not surprised by the findings.
'It is easy to see that such women are either the wife or a relative of an influential politician. How
did they come on top in politics - by depending on men. In such a situation, it is not surprising to
find them involved in corruption or criminal cases,' said Bairwal, whose organisations work for
improving governance and strengthening democracy.
The survey also states that many women legislators are richer than their male counterparts.
Over 30 percent of women MPs have assets worth more than Rs.1.5 crore. The figure is 14.3
percent for members of legislative assemblies (MLAs).
Similarly, 26 percent of women MPs have assets between Rs.50 lakh and Rs.1.5 crore while the
figure is 21 percent for MLAs.
In Himachal Pradesh, most women MLAs' assets have been put at more than Rs.1.5 crore.
'Three of the five women MLAs in Himachal Pradesh have household assets worth more than
Rs.1.5 crore.'
Richest politicians
A lean bare man on the banks of a river near Champaran, his eyes moist with sadness, letting go
of his shawl for a poor woman downstream to cover herself and her child. This poignant moment
from Richard Attenborough's biopic on Gandhi is perhaps the most eloquent image of selfless
politics.
The gentle giant loved as Bapu and revered as the Mahatma epitomised the philosophy of public
service as one who gave up everything to be one among the huddled millions. Nearly a century
later there is little evidence in reel or real life of the high moral ground once straddled by that
generation.
The brazen parade of the Prada Prado set zipping across cities in cavalcades, appropriating
security funded by public money is evidence that politics has since morphed into a largely self-
serving enterprise. The pretense of khadi and Gandhian values went out of vogue with the
Gandhi cap long before the Gucci generation stormed the political arena in the 1980s.
The transition is best described by Rajiv Gandhi who said at the Congress Centenary in Mumbai
in 1985 that politics has been reduced to brokers of power and influence, who dispense
patronage to convert mass movement into feudal oligarchy . Yes there are those who enter
politics to serve the public cause but they are exceptions rather than the rule. Entering public life
is now an investment of time and effort for dividends to be earned from political
entrepreneurship. A joint study by INDIA TODAY and EmpoweringIndia.org (an initiative of the
Liberty Institute) of the reported assets of our elected representatives reveals a startling contrast
between the rulers and the ruled.
In a country where over 77 per cent of the populace, or an estimated 836 million people, earn an
income of Rs 20 per day and over 300 million are living below the poverty line, nearly half the
Rajya Sabha members and nearly a third of those from the Lok Sabha are worth a crore and
more. Just the top ten Rajya Sabha members and the top ten Lok Sabha members have
reported a cumulative net asset worth Rs 1,500 crore. The 10 top losers in the last Lok Sabha
polls including Nyimthungo of Nagaland who reported total assets of Rs 9,005 crore is Rs 9,329
crore. Members of legislative assemblies seem wealthier than many MPs. The top five MLAs
across the 30 states are worth Rs 2,042 crore. Of these 150 crorepati MLAs, 59 don't even have
a PAN card.
1. T. Subbarami Reddy
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Andhra Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 239.6 cr
2. Jaya Bachchan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 214.3 cr
3. Rahul Bajaj
Independent
Rajya Sabha, Maharashtra
Total Assets: Rs 190. 6 cr
4. Anil H. Lad
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 175 cr
5. M. Krishnappa
Indian National Congress
MLA, Vijay Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 136 cr
6. MAM Ramaswamy
Janata Dal (Secular)
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets Rs 107.7 cr
7. Anand Singh
BJP
MLA, Vijayanagara, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 239 cr
8. Anil V. Salgaocar
Independent
MLA, Sanvordem, Goa
Total Assets: Rs 91.4 cr
9. N.A. Haris
Indian National Congress
MLA, Shanti Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 85.3 cr
10. Mahendra Mohan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 85 cr
And don't look for a correlation between the state of the state and the wealth of the legislators.
Uttar Pradesh boasts of the largest number of people 59 million or over a third of its population
living below the poverty line. Not only is Mayawati the richest chief minister in 30 states, the
state also boasts of 113 crorepati MLAs. Similarly, Madhya Pradesh which has over 25 million of
the 60 million people living below the poverty line boasts of 80 crorepati MLAs. The Marxists are
the stark exception in this study too. The CPI(M) has 301 MLAs across 10 states but has only two
MLAs with declared assets of over Rs 1 crore. Of the 537 candidates who contested on a CPI(M)
ticket, only seven had assets of over Rs 1 crore, of which five lost in the elections.
As the old maxim goes, power begets power and money attracts riches. Clearly, it pays to be in
power. Take the last round of Assembly elections which afforded the study an opportunity to
compare the increase in wealth. In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where the BJP was in power,
the average assets of candidates increased by five times.
In Karnataka too where the Congress ruled in rotation with Deve Gowda's JD(S), Congress
candidates reported a fivefold rise in their assets. Mercifully, wealth doesn't always ensure
success. In all, 365 crorepatis contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2004; 88 lost their deposits,
and 114 came second.
Last December in Delhi the Congress learnt this important lesson again when they found that
Congress candidates who lost in Delhi were on an average richer than those who won. But
wealth clearly does matter, all other things being constant.
The caveat emptor here, as with all matters concerning transparency in public life, is that we are
going by what the political class has chosen to declare. After all, the statement of assets filed by
candidates is at best a confession of sorts mandated by two Supreme Court judgements of May
2002 and March 2003.
There are several gaps in the information available. Of the 542 Lok Sabha members, details of
assets are available for only 522. Similarly in the Rajya Sabha, only 215 members have filed
details of assets.
There is no institutional mechanism to cross-check facts, nor is there a requirement for
candidates to declare the source of wealth, or the increase in wealth of candidates in subsequent
declarations. In Mizoram for instance, none of the 10 top candidates have reported possessing a
PAN card even though their wealth is in excess of Rs 1 crore.
What is worse is that although MPs who are ministers file annual statements of their assets, the
information is not available to the public. This virtually negates the concept of scrutiny that would
prevent misuse of position of power and enrichment. Indeed, what should be openly available is
denied even under the Right to Information Act.
It is tragic that the Office of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who has been described as
w‰>ÿÿ‹>s Dÿÿ"DoVDk
o deny the information. Again, while Central ministers are required to file a statement of assets,
there is no such requirement for ministers in states.
The adulterous cohabitation of power and pelf is conspicuous across the political spectrum. The
chasm between the declared and perceived reality is all too obvious to be missed. Contrast the
wealth reported and wealthy lifestyles of those elected to high office.
Clearly the tip of the benami iceberg has not even been touched. In a country with a stark
asymmetry in opportunities and ability, political power enables bending and twisting of policy,
converting politics into the elevator politicians ride to reach the pot of gold. Living room
conversations in middle and upper middle class homes are dotted with whose son, daughter or
son-in-law is raking it in using the benami route to accumulate property and assets.
Television footage of currency notes being waved in Parliament during the last trust vote, the
airborne campaigns witnessed during the polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, money spent
in fielding dummy candidates, funding of party offices, travel in Toyota SUVs costing over Rs 75
lakh each and private charters that politicians avail of to fly within the country are all pointers that
are hard to ignore.
Bankers and brokers talk in not so hushed tones about the role of politicians in corporate scams.
There is also speculation about the real beneficiary and benami ownership of at least two
airlines, several real estate ventures, pharmaceutical units and infrastructure companies. The
corporate concept of 'sleeping partner' has a whole new connotation in the political world. As long
as the real incomes, wealth and funding of politicians remain opaque, governance will continue
to suffer and democracy will be rendered more often on the liability side in the balance sheet of
development.
Television footage of currency notes being waved in Parliament during the last trust vote, the
airborne campaigns witnessed during the polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, money spent
in fielding dummy candidates, funding of party offices, travel in Toyota SUVs costing over Rs 75
lakh each and private charters that politicians avail of to fly within the country are all pointers that
are hard to ignore.
Bankers and brokers talk in not so hushed tones about the role of politicians in corporate scams.
There is also speculation about the real beneficiary and benami ownership of at least two
airlines, several real estate ventures, pharmaceutical units and infrastructure companies. The
corporate concept of 'sleeping partner' has a whole new connotation in the political world. As long
as the real incomes, wealth and funding of politicians remain opaque, governance will continue
to suffer and democracy will be rendered more often on the liability side in the balance sheet of
development.
Mamata declares her humble assets
Kolkata,While billionaire politicians are grabbing headlines, Trinamool Congress party chief
Mamata Banerjee Wednesday declared assets worth Rs.4.73 lakh (Rs.473,000). She does not
own a car or a house.
The 54-year-old Trinamool leader filed her nomination from the Kolkata-South Lok Sabha
constituency.
She has Rs.28,322 in cash and Rs.118,740 (Rs.1.8 lakh) in bank deposits, according to an
affidavit she submitted.
Banerjee - who has no bonds, debentures or shares in any company - has an investment of
Rs.302,600 in National Savings Certificates and Rs.10,000 in National Savings Scheme. Her
main source of income has been from her salary as an MP and royalty from books she has
authored.
The West Bengal opposition party chief owns about 10 gm of jewellery worth Rs.13,531 and has
no other type of movable assets.
Banerjee, a post-graduate with a law degree, has no bank loans pending against her and has
paid income tax of Rs.20,000 in advance for 2009-10, the affidavit states.
Banerjee's opponent from Kolkata South constituency Rabin Deb of the Communist Party of
India-Marxist has assets of over Rs.20 lakh (Rs.2 million).
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
15th Lok Sabha has highest number of women MPs
New Delhi, A record 59 women MPs have been elected to the new Lok Sabha - the highest since independence, and 17 of them are less than 40 years.
According to PRS Legislative Research, an organisation that aims to strengthen legislative debate, among the 59 women MPs in the 15th Lok Sabha, a majority - 23 - are from the Congress. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 13 women members.
Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of 13 women MPs to represent the most populous state. It is followed by West Bengal with seven.
In the 15th Lok Sabha the number of MPs in the age group of 25-40 years has gone up drastically.
Fifteen percent of 543 MPs in the new lower house of the parliament are in this age group while in the 14th Lok Sabha the figure was only 6.3 percent, according to PRS Legislative Research.
In all, 556 women had contested the 2009 general elections, of which 59 were elected.
The lowest percentage of women representations was in the sixth Lok Sabha (1977-80) when there were only 3.8 percent women MPs.
The first Lok Sabha (1952-57) had 4.4 percent women MPs. In the 13th Lok Sabha (1999-2004), the figure was 9.2 percent, the research group said.
The research group said that women representatives in the age group of 40 to 60 has gone down. Now, less than 57 percent of women fall in this category as compared to over 73 percent in 2004.
But this time, women over 60 make a 13.80 percent, while it was a mere 9.8 percent in the 14th Lok Sabha.
According the PRS, the total percentage of MPs this time in the age group of 41-55 years has been the second lowest in the last 14 sessions with only 43 percent members belonging to the age group.
election2009
New Delhi, A record 59 women MPs have been elected to the new Lok Sabha - the highest since independence, and 17 of them are less than 40 years.
According to PRS Legislative Research, an organisation that aims to strengthen legislative debate, among the 59 women MPs in the 15th Lok Sabha, a majority - 23 - are from the Congress. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 13 women members.
Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of 13 women MPs to represent the most populous state. It is followed by West Bengal with seven.
In the 15th Lok Sabha the number of MPs in the age group of 25-40 years has gone up drastically.
Fifteen percent of 543 MPs in the new lower house of the parliament are in this age group while in the 14th Lok Sabha the figure was only 6.3 percent, according to PRS Legislative Research.
In all, 556 women had contested the 2009 general elections, of which 59 were elected.
The lowest percentage of women representations was in the sixth Lok Sabha (1977-80) when there were only 3.8 percent women MPs.
The first Lok Sabha (1952-57) had 4.4 percent women MPs. In the 13th Lok Sabha (1999-2004), the figure was 9.2 percent, the research group said.
The research group said that women representatives in the age group of 40 to 60 has gone down. Now, less than 57 percent of women fall in this category as compared to over 73 percent in 2004.
But this time, women over 60 make a 13.80 percent, while it was a mere 9.8 percent in the 14th Lok Sabha.
According the PRS, the total percentage of MPs this time in the age group of 41-55 years has been the second lowest in the last 14 sessions with only 43 percent members belonging to the age group.
election2009
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Radio broadcasting in India – a service to the community
Smt. Sushma Singh*
*Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Radio broadcasting began in India in the early 1920’s. The Radio Club of Bombay broadcast thefirst programme in 1923. This was followed by the setting up of a Broadcasting Service thatbegan broadcasting on 23rd July 1927 on an experimental basis in Bombay and Calcutta, underan agreement between the then Government of India and a private company called the IndianBroadcasting Company Ltd. When this company went into liquidation in 1930, Indian StateBroadcasting Service under the Department of “Controller of Broadcasts” was constituted. TheIndian State Broadcasting Service was renamed as All India Radio in June, 1936. All India Radio also came to be known as Akashvani in 1956.
When India attained Independence in 1947, AIR had a network of six stations and 18 transmitters.
The coverage was 2.5 % of the area and just 11% of the population. AIR today has 231 radio
stations and 373 transmitters and its coverage extends to 91.79 % by area and 99.14 % by population. Operating in a multi-cultural, multi-linguistic country like India, AIR broadcasts in 24languages and 146 dialects, in its home service. In External Services, it covers 27 languagesincluding 16 foreign and 11 Indian languages. AIR operates its broadcasting services on MediumWave, Short Wave and FM. The FM Service uses a larger bandwidth to provide a programmeservice of high fidelity and lower noise distortion. AIR started the FM network with its channels viz.
AIR FM Gold, and AIR FM Rainbow,
Objective
In its programming and other activities AIR is guided by its motto “Bahujana Hitaya;
Bahujana Sukhaya” i.e to promote the happiness and welfare of the masses through information,education and entertainment. To realize its objectives, AIR has evolved a three-tier system ofbroadcasting – national, regional and local. It caters to the mass communication needs of thepeople through its various stations spread across the country. They provide music, spoken word,news and other programmes. Local stations meet the area specific needs of the listener.
At present All India Radio operates its services through:
? Primary Channels
? Commercial Broadcasting Service (Vividh Bharati)
? FM Channels (Rainbow and Gold)
? Local Radio Station (LRS)
? National Channel
? DTH
? External Services broadcast
? Other niche channels: Amrutha Varshini
Emergency Warning Broadcasting System (EWBS)
Broadcasting is a very effective medium for relaying life-saving information on the preventivemeasures to be taken and also about the rescue measures envisaged after the disaster hashappened. Japan has developed a technique in which a sleeping radio set can be switched onautomatically in case of emergency. All India radio has already tested the technique inMW/FM transmitters. Further work is proposed in coordination with National DisasterManagement Authority.
With the passage of time operating broadcasting services on Medium Wave and Short Wave, AIRhas had stepped into the larger bandwidth to provide a programme service of high fidelity andlower noise distortion and thus came the era of FM.
Expansion Of FM Through Private Participation
With the advent of liberalization in India. Government of India brought out a policy to expand FMRadio Network through participation of private agencies in 1999 and again a revised policy in2005. Accordingly, 21 channels were operationalised in various states in Phase- I and 236channels have been operationalised in Phase- II, out of the 266 channels for which licenses havebeen given. Government has received a sum of Rs.35.53 crores (approx.) license fee from these
channels during 2007- 08.
Community Radio Setup in India
After the success of the FM Radio Broadcasting, the Government of India approved a policy forthe grant of licenses for setting up of Community Radio Stations to well established educationalinstitutions including IITs/IIMs, Krishi Vikas Kendras, State Agricultural universities, Indian Council
of Agricultural Research institutions and ‘Non-profit’ organizations like civil society and voluntaryorganizations.
The basic objective of the Community Radio broadcasting is to serve the cause of thecommunity in the service area by involving members of the community in the broadcast of theirprogrammes. These small Radio Stations set up by educational institutions, civil societyorganizations etc., would cater to the needs of the population in a range of 10-15 km and wouldhave programmes of immediate relevance to the community. The emphasis should be ondevelopmental, agricultural, health, educational, environmental, social welfare, communitydevelopment and cultural programmes. The programming should reflect the special interests andneeds of the local community and at least 50% of content shall be generated with the participation
of the local community, for which the station has been set up.
Challenge to AIR - Technological Advancements
With the advent of private channels in FM Radio, the Public Broadcaster’s monopoly hasbeen threatened. To compete with the upcoming channels the AIR also has been adopting newtechnologies and techniques to continue to reach out to the masses. AIR has added anotherfeather to its cap by making available the ‘SMS News on Mobile Phone’ service. Anyone can nowget news through SMS by sending a SMS – NEWS at 5676744.
The ‘News on Phone’ service is another landmark being presented by AIR. Anyone canget the latest news by simply making a phone call on the designated numbers and listen tonational / international news or regional news in English, Hindi and local language. The service isnow operational in 14 cities across the country including Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad,Patna, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Thiruvananthpuram.Utilizing the technological advancements, AIR has also launched its website for the news lovers.AIR News can be accessed through NSD website www.newsonair.com.
Introduction of Internet broadcasting by AIR has enabled its listeners in parts of the world likeUSA, Canada, West and South Africa to avail of AIR’s Services on Internet 24 hrs. 21 AIRchannels are also available through Doordarshan DTH services.
The External Services Division has started digital transmission from its new set up installed in theNew Broadcasting House. All modern gadgets and equipments are being used to attract as manylisteners as possible. Computer Hard Disc based recording, editing and playback system has already beenprovided at 76 AIR stations and is under implementation at 61 stations. Provision of Hard DiscBased System at 48 major stations of All India Radio is also currently in progress. Computerization of AIR stations and offices is in progress to facilitate online exchange ofinformation and improvement of efficiency.
Permanent Studios with digital equipment & Compterised hard disc based work stations forrecording, dubbing, editing & playback facilities etc. are being provided at AIR Leh, Dehradun,Mysore, Jaipur, & Tawang.
AIR has started “AIR RESOURCES” as one of its commercial arm to provide consultancy andturnkey solutions in the field of broadcasting. Its present activities include the following:
It is providing turnkey solutions to IGNOU in setting up FM Transmitters for their Gyan-Vanistations at 40 places in the country. Infrastructure like land, building and tower has also beenleased out to Gyan-Vani stations. 26 Gyan-Vani stations are already operational. Operation &maintenance of all the Gyan-Vani stations commissioned so far has also been undertaken.
All India Radio, with its reach to nearly the whole of population, continues in its effort tospread awareness among the people about the initiatives taken by the Government to improve thestandard of living of the common man. From its post Independence stature as channel associatednly with classical music it has graduated into a educational-cum-entertainment channel and isonce again looking forward to gain the ground it had lost to the private operators in the recent
past.
Smt. Sushma Singh*
*Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Radio broadcasting began in India in the early 1920’s. The Radio Club of Bombay broadcast thefirst programme in 1923. This was followed by the setting up of a Broadcasting Service thatbegan broadcasting on 23rd July 1927 on an experimental basis in Bombay and Calcutta, underan agreement between the then Government of India and a private company called the IndianBroadcasting Company Ltd. When this company went into liquidation in 1930, Indian StateBroadcasting Service under the Department of “Controller of Broadcasts” was constituted. TheIndian State Broadcasting Service was renamed as All India Radio in June, 1936. All India Radio also came to be known as Akashvani in 1956.
When India attained Independence in 1947, AIR had a network of six stations and 18 transmitters.
The coverage was 2.5 % of the area and just 11% of the population. AIR today has 231 radio
stations and 373 transmitters and its coverage extends to 91.79 % by area and 99.14 % by population. Operating in a multi-cultural, multi-linguistic country like India, AIR broadcasts in 24languages and 146 dialects, in its home service. In External Services, it covers 27 languagesincluding 16 foreign and 11 Indian languages. AIR operates its broadcasting services on MediumWave, Short Wave and FM. The FM Service uses a larger bandwidth to provide a programmeservice of high fidelity and lower noise distortion. AIR started the FM network with its channels viz.
AIR FM Gold, and AIR FM Rainbow,
Objective
In its programming and other activities AIR is guided by its motto “Bahujana Hitaya;
Bahujana Sukhaya” i.e to promote the happiness and welfare of the masses through information,education and entertainment. To realize its objectives, AIR has evolved a three-tier system ofbroadcasting – national, regional and local. It caters to the mass communication needs of thepeople through its various stations spread across the country. They provide music, spoken word,news and other programmes. Local stations meet the area specific needs of the listener.
At present All India Radio operates its services through:
? Primary Channels
? Commercial Broadcasting Service (Vividh Bharati)
? FM Channels (Rainbow and Gold)
? Local Radio Station (LRS)
? National Channel
? DTH
? External Services broadcast
? Other niche channels: Amrutha Varshini
Emergency Warning Broadcasting System (EWBS)
Broadcasting is a very effective medium for relaying life-saving information on the preventivemeasures to be taken and also about the rescue measures envisaged after the disaster hashappened. Japan has developed a technique in which a sleeping radio set can be switched onautomatically in case of emergency. All India radio has already tested the technique inMW/FM transmitters. Further work is proposed in coordination with National DisasterManagement Authority.
With the passage of time operating broadcasting services on Medium Wave and Short Wave, AIRhas had stepped into the larger bandwidth to provide a programme service of high fidelity andlower noise distortion and thus came the era of FM.
Expansion Of FM Through Private Participation
With the advent of liberalization in India. Government of India brought out a policy to expand FMRadio Network through participation of private agencies in 1999 and again a revised policy in2005. Accordingly, 21 channels were operationalised in various states in Phase- I and 236channels have been operationalised in Phase- II, out of the 266 channels for which licenses havebeen given. Government has received a sum of Rs.35.53 crores (approx.) license fee from these
channels during 2007- 08.
Community Radio Setup in India
After the success of the FM Radio Broadcasting, the Government of India approved a policy forthe grant of licenses for setting up of Community Radio Stations to well established educationalinstitutions including IITs/IIMs, Krishi Vikas Kendras, State Agricultural universities, Indian Council
of Agricultural Research institutions and ‘Non-profit’ organizations like civil society and voluntaryorganizations.
The basic objective of the Community Radio broadcasting is to serve the cause of thecommunity in the service area by involving members of the community in the broadcast of theirprogrammes. These small Radio Stations set up by educational institutions, civil societyorganizations etc., would cater to the needs of the population in a range of 10-15 km and wouldhave programmes of immediate relevance to the community. The emphasis should be ondevelopmental, agricultural, health, educational, environmental, social welfare, communitydevelopment and cultural programmes. The programming should reflect the special interests andneeds of the local community and at least 50% of content shall be generated with the participation
of the local community, for which the station has been set up.
Challenge to AIR - Technological Advancements
With the advent of private channels in FM Radio, the Public Broadcaster’s monopoly hasbeen threatened. To compete with the upcoming channels the AIR also has been adopting newtechnologies and techniques to continue to reach out to the masses. AIR has added anotherfeather to its cap by making available the ‘SMS News on Mobile Phone’ service. Anyone can nowget news through SMS by sending a SMS – NEWS at 5676744.
The ‘News on Phone’ service is another landmark being presented by AIR. Anyone canget the latest news by simply making a phone call on the designated numbers and listen tonational / international news or regional news in English, Hindi and local language. The service isnow operational in 14 cities across the country including Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad,Patna, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Thiruvananthpuram.Utilizing the technological advancements, AIR has also launched its website for the news lovers.AIR News can be accessed through NSD website www.newsonair.com.
Introduction of Internet broadcasting by AIR has enabled its listeners in parts of the world likeUSA, Canada, West and South Africa to avail of AIR’s Services on Internet 24 hrs. 21 AIRchannels are also available through Doordarshan DTH services.
The External Services Division has started digital transmission from its new set up installed in theNew Broadcasting House. All modern gadgets and equipments are being used to attract as manylisteners as possible. Computer Hard Disc based recording, editing and playback system has already beenprovided at 76 AIR stations and is under implementation at 61 stations. Provision of Hard DiscBased System at 48 major stations of All India Radio is also currently in progress. Computerization of AIR stations and offices is in progress to facilitate online exchange ofinformation and improvement of efficiency.
Permanent Studios with digital equipment & Compterised hard disc based work stations forrecording, dubbing, editing & playback facilities etc. are being provided at AIR Leh, Dehradun,Mysore, Jaipur, & Tawang.
AIR has started “AIR RESOURCES” as one of its commercial arm to provide consultancy andturnkey solutions in the field of broadcasting. Its present activities include the following:
It is providing turnkey solutions to IGNOU in setting up FM Transmitters for their Gyan-Vanistations at 40 places in the country. Infrastructure like land, building and tower has also beenleased out to Gyan-Vani stations. 26 Gyan-Vani stations are already operational. Operation &maintenance of all the Gyan-Vani stations commissioned so far has also been undertaken.
All India Radio, with its reach to nearly the whole of population, continues in its effort tospread awareness among the people about the initiatives taken by the Government to improve thestandard of living of the common man. From its post Independence stature as channel associatednly with classical music it has graduated into a educational-cum-entertainment channel and isonce again looking forward to gain the ground it had lost to the private operators in the recent
past.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
न्यू स्टिंग ओपरेशन ----- eye-shaped कैमरा
- Borrowing one of nature's best designs, U।S. scientists have built an eye-shaped camera using standard sensor materials and say it could improve the performance ofdigital cameras and enhance imaging of the human body.
The device might even lead to the development of prosthetic devices including a bionic eye, theysaid."This is the फर्स्ट camera on a curved surface to really make it look likea human eye," .
"Currently when you take photos, the middle part of the picture is very clear but when you go tothe edge, it is not so clear. "The curved technology will make the entire pictureclear."But the applications extend beyond taking better vacation photos.
"It really extends to all of the electronics that we use on humans. You want to have a curvedsurface to fit the human body. That is really the place it can be used," . It could even be used in thedevelopment of an artificial retina or a bionic eye.
"If you want to develop an eye to replace a human eye, certainly you want the shape to look like ahuman eye,"
"
- Borrowing one of nature's best designs, U।S. scientists have built an eye-shaped camera using standard sensor materials and say it could improve the performance ofdigital cameras and enhance imaging of the human body.
The device might even lead to the development of prosthetic devices including a bionic eye, theysaid."This is the फर्स्ट camera on a curved surface to really make it look likea human eye," .
"Currently when you take photos, the middle part of the picture is very clear but when you go tothe edge, it is not so clear. "The curved technology will make the entire pictureclear."But the applications extend beyond taking better vacation photos.
"It really extends to all of the electronics that we use on humans. You want to have a curvedsurface to fit the human body. That is really the place it can be used," . It could even be used in thedevelopment of an artificial retina or a bionic eye.
"If you want to develop an eye to replace a human eye, certainly you want the shape to look like ahuman eye,"
"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
