Nearly 12 per cent of sitting MPs of Rajya Sabha are billionaires with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana having the highest percentage of such parliamentarians, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms.

IMAGE: Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asks the Opposition MPs to maintain decorum in the House during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, August 10, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Association for Democratic Reforms and the National Election Watch have analysed and updated the criminal, financial and other background details of 225 out of 233 Rajya Sabha MPs.

In the current Rajya Sabha, one seat is vacant.

According to the report, 5 (45 per cent) out of 11 MPs from Andhra Pradesh, 3 (43 per cent) out of 7 MPs from Telangana, 3 (16 per cent) out of 19 MPs from Maharashtra, 1 (33 per cent) out of 3 MPs from Delhi, 2 (29 per cent) out of 7 MPs from Punjab, 1 (20 per cent) out of 5 MPs from Haryana and 2 (18 per cent) out of 11 MPs from Madhya Pradesh have declared assets worth more than Rs 100 crore.

The total assets of seven Members of Parliament analysed from Telangana is Rs 5,596 crore, that of 11 MPs from Andhra Pradesh is Rs 3,823 crore, and 30 MPs analysed from Uttar Pradesh have total assets worth Rs 1,941 crore.

Out of the 225 Rajya Sabha sitting MPs analysed, 75 (33 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves.

Also about 41 (18 per cent) Rajya Sabha sitting MPs have declared serious criminal cases and two members have declared cases related to murder (IPC section 302).

Four Rajya Sabha sitting MPs have declared cases related to crimes against women. Out of 4 MPs, one Rajya Sabha sitting MP -- Congress' K C Venugopal -- from Rajasthan has declared case related to rape (IPC section 376).

About 23 (27 per cent) out of 85 Rajya Sabha MPs from BJP, 12 (40 per cent) out of 30 MPs from Congress, 4 (31 per cent) out of 13 MPs from AITC, 5 (83 per cent) out of 6 MPs from RJD, 4 (80 per cent) out of 5 MPs from CPI(M), 3 (30 per cent) out of 10 MPs from AAP, 3 (33 per cent) out of 9 MPs from YSRCP, and 2 (67 per cent) out of 3 Rajya Sabha MPs from the NCP have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.