According to a report submitted to the Supreme Court on the criminalisation of politics, 251 of the 543 Lok Sabha members have criminal cases against them.
In the Rajya Sabha, 75 of 233 members face criminal cases.
An affidavit filed in the Supreme Court says that more than 4,000 criminal cases are pending against MPs and MLAs.
Chief Ministers of 14 of the 28 states have also declared criminal cases against themselves, including serious charges.
The affidavit was filed by senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, who is assisting the court in a public interest case seeking the speedy disposal of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs.
89 cases against Telangana CM
According to the affidavit, Telangana Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy has 89 cases against him. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari follows with 29 cases, while Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has 19.
Hansaria said the Supreme Court and High Courts are monitoring these cases to ensure they are heard quickly.
However, the number of pending cases against MPs and MLAs has remained almost unchanged since 2018.
Data collected from various High Courts shows that 1,243 criminal cases were decided in 2025, while 1,050 new cases were registered during the same year.
A total of 4,192 cases are currently pending against former and serving MPs and MLAs.
170 serious cases in Lok Sabha
Citing data from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the affidavit says that 251 of the 543 Lok Sabha members have criminal cases against them.
Of these, 170 are serious cases that could carry a sentence of five years or more.
The affidavit also says that 75 of the 233 Rajya Sabha members, or 33%, have criminal cases against them. Of these, 40 members, or 18%, face serious cases carrying a possible sentence of five years or more.
The senior lawyer also presented an analysis of reports submitted by various High Courts, excluding Uttar Pradesh.
Data from Uttar Pradesh was not included because the Allahabad High Court’s report had not been received.
Cases against 95% of Kerala’s MPs
According to an affidavit filed by advocate Senha Kalita, 19 of Kerala’s 20 MPs, or 95%, have criminal cases against them. Of these, 11 face serious cases.
In Telangana, 14 of 17 MPs, or 82%, have criminal cases. In Odisha, 16 of 21 MPs, or 76%, face cases; in Jharkhand, 10 of 14, or 71%; and in Tamil Nadu, 26 of 39, or 67%.
Around half of the MPs from other major states, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, also have criminal cases against them.
In Haryana, one of 10 MPs faces criminal charges, while in Chhattisgarh, one of 11 MPs faces such cases.
In Punjab, 2 of 13 MPs have cases; in Assam, 3 of 14; in Delhi, 3 of 7; in Rajasthan, 4 of 25; in Gujarat, 5 of 25; and in Madhya Pradesh, 9 of 29 MPs have criminal cases against them.
Demand for special courts to hear only MPs-MLAs cases
The Amicus Curiae said Supreme Court monitoring of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs is necessary to ensure they are disposed of quickly.
He also called for special courts to be set up to hear such cases and deal only with cases involving MPs and MLAs.
He said other cases should be taken up by these special courts only after the hearings involving MPs and MLAs are completed.
The affidavit states that Principal District and Sessions Judges should assign regular court work to MP-MLA special courts only after cases against MPs and MLAs have been heard.
The Amicus Curiae also said High Courts should review the progress of these cases every month through suo motu writ proceedings.
He called for all pending cases to be completed as soon as possible, preferably within one year of charges being framed.
The senior lawyer also asked High Courts to closely monitor the cases and issue effective orders, particularly in matters that have been pending for more than three years.
Court’s action on Ashwini Upadhyay’s petition
Hansaria is assisting the Supreme Court in the public interest case filed by Ashwini Upadhyay, seeking the speedy disposal of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs.
On November 9, 2023, the Supreme Court directed High Courts to set up special benches to speed up hearings in more than 5,000 criminal cases against MPs and MLAs.
The court also barred special courts from unnecessarily postponing hearings in such cases. It said adjournments should only be allowed for rare and compelling reasons.
The Supreme Court issued several directions to High Courts, district judges and special courts dealing with cases involving MPs and MLAs.
It said criminal cases against Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assembly and Members of Legislative Council should be given priority.
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