At least six newly elected MPs from the I.N.D.I.A bloc and one additional MP are currently facing criminal charges that could result in prison sentences exceeding two years. If convicted, these MPs might lose their seats in Parliament.
As per an IANS report, Afzal Ansari, who won the Ghazipur seat, has been sentenced to four years under the Gangster Act. However, the Allahabad High Court stayed his conviction last month, allowing him to run in the elections. The court is to revisit the case in July after its summer recess. If the decision is upheld, Ansari will lose his Lok Sabha seat.
Dharmendra Yadav, the winner of the Azamgarh seat, faces four pending cases. A conviction resulting in a sentence of more than two years would also sack his membership.
Babu Singh Kushwaha, who secured the Jaunpur seat after his 10-year of political hiatus, is implicated in numerous cases related to the NRHM scam from the Mayawati administration. Charges have been filed in 8 out of the 25 cases against him.
Rambhual Nishad, who won in Sultanpur against BJP’s Maneka Gandhi, has eight cases, including one under the Gangsters Act. He is considered a 'vulnerable' winner of the 2024 elections. Virendra Singh who defeated former minister Mahendra Nath Pandey from Chandauli Lok Sabha seat, is another SP candidate facing criminal cases.
Imran Masood of Congress, victorious in Saharanpur, is involved in eight cases, including money laundering by the ED. Charges have been framed in two of these cases. Chandra Shekhar Azad of the Azad Samaj Party, who won the Nagina reserved seat, has over 30 cases against him. A conviction exceeding two years in any of these cases would adversely affect his political career.
It is important to note that various political leaders have lost their membership following the conviction in criminal cases. Among those, prominent leaders are Mohd Azam Khan, his son Abdullah Azam of SP, Khaboo Tiwari, Vikram Saini, Ram Dular Gond, Kuldeep Sengar and Ashok Chandel, all of BJP.