PASS OR FAIL? Report Card of Lok Sabha MPs on the floor of the Parliament

New Delhi: With less than two weeks to go for the 2014 general elections, the political leaders have resorted to the tried and tested tricks to entice the voters. Engaging in high voltage drama played on television and rallies, making eloquent speeches, indulging in wide and incessant campaigning. But this doesn’t cut it, voter seeks more, much more in his parliamentarian of the 16th Lok Sabha. But before the voter casts his vote here’s what he needs to know about his representative. As per the data collected by prsindia.org, here’s a report card of the MP’s from the 15th Lok Sabha elections. MP’S WITH DISMAL RECORDS IN THE HOUSE Sonia Gandhi, RAE BARELI, Indian National Congress The president and the queen bee of Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi has an attendance of less than fifty percent. But what the voters of her constituency must know is that their representative participated in only two debates while the national average is 38. It doesn’t end there; Sonia Gandhi raised no questions on the floor of the parliament in five years of her term.

RAHUL Gandhi, AMETHI, INDIAN NATIONAL Congress The 43-yr-old Gandhi scion and the Congress’ implicit choice for Prime Ministerial candidate may have followed in the footsteps of his mother, he has an attendance of 43%, while he has participated in two debates held in the last five years and asked no questions on the floor of the house.

JITENDER SINGH, ALWAR, INDIAN NATIONAL Congress Sports Minister and MP from Alwar, Jitender Singh may have performed a little better that the mother-son duo in terms of sessions attended of the parliament proceedings, but his participation and representation is disappointing, he raised no questions on the floor of parliament neither did he partake in any debates conducted in the last term.

SANDEEP DIKSHIT, EAST DELHI, INDIAN NATIONAL Congress Former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit’s son Sandeep Dikshit has been a back bencher in the Parliament. He has 91% attendance but he may have been indiscernible with just two questions asked in his entire tenure. Though he sporadically shed his invisibility cloak by participating in sixteen debates in last five years.

VIR BHADRA SINGH, MANDI, IINDIAN NATIONAL Congress The current Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh scored high in the attendance department but his presence in the parliament was in vain as he asked no questions and didn’t partake in any debates conducted in the Lok Sabha.

BHARTIYA JANATA PARTY For palpable reasons Bjp the main opposition party has a better track record than Congress. The party members have a higher average of attendance and participation in the proceedings. But there are MPs who scored a low in the Lok Sabha performance report card. LAL KRISHNA ADVANI, GANDHINAGAR, BJP The octogenarian politician and one of the founding members of Bhartiya Janata Party has not only been sidelined in his party but in the national political arena as well. He may have topped the house as far as attendance is concerned, but he completely failed to ask questions in the parliament though he did participate in 30 debates.

RAJNATH SINGH, GHAZIABAD, Bjp The party President and veteran politician Rajnath Singh achieved a distinction in the attendance department but his charisma in parliament was less felt. He only posed 33 questions while his participation in debates was 14, much lower than the national average.

JAWANT SINGH, DARJEELING, Bjp After being in the news and the centre of all political debates for the last few days, Jaswant Singh quit the BJP recently. But as a BJP MP during the last Lok Sabha session, the political veteran asked no questions and only contributed to 18 debates. Singh attended the parliament frequently.

DINUBHAI SOLANKI, JUNAGARH, Bjp The controversial leader Dinubhai Solanki a prime accused in Amit Jethwa murder case has abysmal presence in the session of the parliament. With an extremely low fifteen percent attendance and no contribution in debates, he even failed to pose any questions in the parliament.

NAVJOT SINGH SIDDU, AMRITSAR, Bjp Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu record was equally deplorable as the MP attended only twenty five percent of Parliament sessions where he initiated three debates and asked 99 questions.

OTHER PARTIES JAGAN MOHAN REDDY, KAPADA, YSR Congress The chief of YSR Congress not only had appalling attendance but he asked no questions during his tenure as MP. His participation in debates was as low as two.

SUSHMA SWARAJ, VIDISHA, Bjp Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj came out with flying colours with her brilliant record across all departments. She has an attendance of ninety four percent. She may not have asked the maximum questions but she made pertinent points in the Lok Sabha. She participated in 112 debates and lead the opposition by example.

ANURAG SINGH THAKUR, MP, HAMIRPUR Part of the young brigade, Anurag Thakur has all it takes to make a fine leader. 39-yr-old leader attended 85% of the conducted sessions and posed 612 questions and partake in 72 debates.

SANJAY NIRUPAM, MUMBAI-NORTH, INDIAN NATIONAL Congress Congress MP, performed fairly well in comparison to his other party-mates. The north-Mumbai representative had an 89% attendance wherein he asked 337 questions and contributed to 57 debated held in the Lok Sabha.

JAI PRAKASH AGARWAL, NORTH-EAST DELHI, INDIAN NATIONAL Congress Jai Prakash Aggarwal, North East Delhi MP maybe a saving grace for Congress in terms of performance on the house’s floor. The MP has an attendance of 99% while he participated in 85 debates and posed almost 900 questions in his tenure as the MP for 15th Lok Sabha.

OTHER PARTIES SUPRIYA SULE, BARAMATI, NCP Daughter of the NCP chief Supriya Sule didn’t do too bad either, She had an attendance of 86% during the term. She posed over 700 questions and participated in almost 40 debates. SHARAD YADAV, MADHEPURA, JD(U) The JD(U) chief and political old hand Sharad Yadav made his presence felt with 83% attendance during which he was actively involved in 159 debates and posed 42 questions. 2014 elections will be the biggest elections in the history of India, also hinting towards a paradigm shift with emergence of Aam Aadmi Party and growing support for Narendra Modi. More than 814 million people — a number larger than the population of Europe — will be eligible to vote in the world’s biggest democratic exercise which can change the dynamics of the political arena. Knowing your representative becomes imperative as the voter decides the future of the nation.