28% MLAs in Goa have declared criminal cases against them: ADR report

As per the Goa Elections Watch report prepared by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 11 out of 40 MLAs (28 per cent) in the Goa Assembly have declared criminal cases against them. Nine of the eleven have declared severe criminal cases in their affidavits. Party-wise, 7 out of BJP's 27 MLAs and one of Congress' five have criminal cases against them.

"One (33 per cent) out of 3 MLAs from the Goa Forward Party, the sole MLA from the NCP and one (33 per cent) out of the three Independent MLAs have declared criminal cases against them in their affidavits," the report added.

While five of the 27 BJP MLAs have serious criminal cases against them, only one out of Congress' five MLAs and one of Goa Forward Party's three MLAs have serious criminal cases against them. However, the sole NCP MLA, too, has serious criminal cases against him besides one of the three independent MLAs. One MLA has also declared cases under IPC Section 376 for crime against women. ADR's report was put together based on the affidavits submitted by the candidates before the 2017 assembly elections and the by-elections later. It analyses the criminal, financial and other background details of the 40 sitting MLAs in Goa.