Haryana Assembly Election Results 2024: In the newly-elected 90-member Haryana Assembly, as many as 86 MLAs (96 per cent) are billionaires (crorepatis), according to a report by the poll rights body, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The analysis of affidavits from all 90 winning candidates, conducted by ADR and Haryana Election Watch, indicates a slight rise in the number of crorepati MLAs, increasing from 93 per cent in 2019 to 96 per cent this time.
44% MLAs possess assets worth over Rs 10 crore
Of the 90 MLAs in Haryana, 44 per cent hold assets worth over Rs 10 crore, while only 2.2 per cent have assets below Rs 20 lakh, according to the data. The average assets per winning candidate are Rs 24.97 crore, a significant increase from Rs 18.29 crore in 2019.
Party-wise, 96 per cent of BJP legislators, 95 per cent of Congress MLAs, and 100 per cent of both INLD and Independent winners have declared assets above Rs 1 crore. Independent MLA from Hisar, Savitri Jindal, leads the list with assets exceeding Rs 270 crore, followed by BJP's Shakti Rani Sharma at Rs 145 crore and Shruti Choudhry at Rs 134 crore.
Of the 30 re-elected MLAs in 2024, their average assets saw a 59 per cent rise since 2019, growing from Rs 9.08 crore to Rs 14.46 crore, reflecting notable financial gains over the past five years.
Independent MLA from Hisar Savitri Jindal tops the list with assets totalling over Rs 270 crore, followed by BJP's Shakti Rani Sharma and Shruti Choudhry at Rs 145 crore and Rs 134 crore, respectively.
A total of 30 MLAs have been re-elected in 2024, whose average assets grew by 59 per cent since 2019, from Rs 9.08 crore to Rs 14.46 crore now, marking significant financial gains over the past five years.
12 MLAs have criminal cases
Meanwhile, of the winning candidates, 12 elected MLAs have criminal records. As per the ADR data, six of them are facing serious charges with one accused of an attempt to murder. In 2019, seven candidates had serious criminal cases against them.
Party-wise, 19 per cent of Congress MLAs, 6 per cent of BJP legislators, and 67 per cent of the Independent winners have declared criminal cases against their names. The analysis also showed that 28 winning candidates have declared liabilities of Rs 1 crore or more, with Congress' Rajbir Fartia from Loharu topping the chart at Rs 44 crore.
Fartia also tops the list of highest income earners, declaring an earning of Rs 10.75 crore in his Income Tax Return for 2023-24.
68% MLAs are graduates
According to the report, 68 per cent of the winning candidates in Haryana's newly elected assembly are graduates or hold higher degrees, while 29 per cent have educational qualifications ranging from Class 8 to Class 12.
The representation of women has also improved, with 14 per cent of the legislators being women, up from 10% in 2019. Additionally, 66 per cent of the MLAs are aged between 51 and 80 years.
The poll results were announced Tuesday. Bucking anti-incumbency, the ruling BJP pulled off a hat-trick of wins in Haryana to retain power and halt Congress' comeback attempt. While the BJP ended up with its best-ever haul of 48 seats, 11 more than the Congress, parties like the JJP and the AAP were decimated and the INLD managed to win just two seats.
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