94 of the BJP's 240 MPs elected in 2024 (39%) declared criminal cases, and 63 (26%) declared serious ones; but nearly all are pending cases, not convictions, and the share is lower than Congress's.
What these numbers are. They come from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which reads the sworn affidavits every candidate files. A declared case means an FIR or charges exist, not that the person is guilty. Many are protest or speech cases; ADR also warns a case's status may have changed since the affidavit was filed (The Week/PTI).
| Group |
With any criminal case |
With serious cases (murder, rape, kidnapping, etc.) |
Source |
| BJP MPs, 2024 Lok Sabha |
94 of 240 (39%) |
63 (26%) |
ADR |
| Congress MPs, 2024 (for comparison) |
49 of 99 (49%) |
32 (32%) |
Onmanorama/PTI |
| All 543 MPs, 2024 |
251 (46%), of whom 27 convicted |
170 (31%) |
ADR |
| BJP ministers (Union + states), 2025 |
136 of 336 (40%) |
88 (26%) |
The Week/PTI |
| BJP MPs + MLAs with crimes-against-women cases |
54 (highest of any party) |
5 declared rape cases (tied with Congress at 5) |
The Wire |
Chief ministers. In ADR's August 2025 analysis, 12 of 30 CMs declared criminal cases. The highest counts belong to opposition CMs: Telangana's Revanth Reddy (Congress, 89) and Tamil Nadu's M.K. Stalin (DMK, 47). The only BJP CM named in the reported list is Maharashtra's Devendra Fadnavis, with four (Greater Kashmir/PTI).
Named high-profile cases and their outcome
| Person (role) |
Allegation |
Status as of Oct 2026 |
Source |
| Kuldeep Singh Sengar (ex-BJP MLA, Unnao; expelled) |
Rape of a minor, 2017 |
Convicted Dec 2019, life sentence; also 10 years for the custodial death of the survivor's father. Appeal pending; Supreme Court restored his jail term in May 2026 |
Bar & Bench, Verdictum |
| Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh (ex-BJP MP, Kaiserganj) |
Sexual harassment of six women wrestlers |
Acquitted 3 Aug 2026 by a Delhi court; separate minor wrestler's case closed in 2025 after she withdrew |
Deccan Herald |
| Amit Shah (then Gujarat minister; now Union Home Minister) |
Murder conspiracy, Sohrabuddin fake-encounter case |
Discharged Dec 2014 for lack of evidence; discharge upheld; all 22 remaining accused acquitted in 2018 |
ThePrint, Bar & Bench |
| Yogi Adityanath (UP CM) |
1995 prohibitory-order case; 2007 Gorakhpur hate-speech case |
Never tried: his own government withdrew the 1995 case in 2017 and refused sanction to prosecute the 2007 case; the High Court dismissed the challenge |
Business Standard, The Wire |
What the evidence supports. A large number of BJP lawmakers face criminal cases, the party has the most MPs and MLAs with crimes-against-women cases, and some cases against top leaders ended without trial. It does not support saying BJP leaders are proven rapists, murderers or bribe-takers as a group: among the cases above, one ended in conviction, the others in acquittal, discharge or withdrawal. Bribery-related probes of politicians who later joined the BJP are covered in section 2.
To look up any individual: ADR publishes each candidate's affidavit, with case sections listed, on its MyNeta site (myneta.info). Check there before naming anyone, and state whether each case is pending, convicted or closed.