A recent report from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) indicates that 12 out of 30 chief ministers in India, representing 40 percent, have declared criminal cases against themselves. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has the highest number of declared cases, with 89, followed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin with 47 cases. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has 19 declared cases, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has 13, and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has five declared cases. Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu have four cases each. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has two, and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has one declared case. The report was released amid the government’s introduction of three bills, which include provisions for removing prime ministers, chief ministers, and ministers arrested for serious criminal charges for 30 days. The ADR report also reveals that 10 chief ministers (33 percent) have declared serious criminal cases, including those related to attempted murder, kidnapping, bribery, and criminal intimidation. The ADR analyzed affidavits submitted by all 30 current chief ministers of states and union territories. This data was compiled from the affidavits filed before they contested their previous elections.
