67 pc of women legislators in Telangana have criminal records

Hyderabad: Telangana has the highest percentage of women MPs and MLAs with criminal backgrounds in the country, according to a recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Out of 12 sitting women legislators from Telangana, 8 (67%) have declared criminal cases, while 5 (42%) are facing serious charges such as attempt to murder and other grave offences. This puts Telangana among the worst-performing states in terms of criminal records among women lawmakers.

Andhra Pradesh follows closely in terms of percentage, with 14 (58%) of its 24 women legislators facing criminal charges and nine (38%) involved in serious criminal cases.

The ADR analysis covered 512 sitting women MPs and MLAs across India. Nationally, 143 (28%) women lawmakers have criminal cases, and 78 (15%) are facing serious charges.

The report also found that across the country, most women legislators (71%) are graduates or have higher educational qualifications. Youth representation among women leaders (aged 25–40) stands at 22%, which is higher than among male legislators.