Are Karnataka’s 12 MPs making enough noise to be heard in the Rajya Sabha?
While, the performance of MPs in spending their fund of Rs 5 crore needs scrutiny, their participation in the debates and proceedings inside the House paints a sorry state of affairs.
While some MPs turned out to be chronic absentees, some were happy being mute spectators to the debates and hardly asked any questions.
A data released by PRS Legislative research agency on the performance analysis of MPs representing Karnataka (till December 2011) shows that only three out of 10 MPs had attendance exceeding the national average of 76 per cent, while only two MPs participated in more than 22 (national average) debates and only one MP was found to have asked 402 questions against the national average of 170, others scoring between 0 and 86.
The data provides insight into crucial parameters of attendance, the number of debates participated by member, number of questions asked and private bills tabled, which helps in an intense public scrutiny of the MPs’ in-house performance.
According to the data, BJP MP K.B. Shanappa has the highest attendance of 92%, while another BJP MP Hema Malini stood last with only 34 %.
BJP MPs Venkaiah Naidu and Rama Jois participated in highest number of debates (38), while Congress MP Oscar Fernandes and Independent MP Vijay Mallya did not participate in a single debate.
Independent MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar topped in overall performance. He has participated in 21 debates, raised 402 questions, tabled eight bills, and garnered an attendance of 68%.
While, three Rajya Sabha MPs from Karnataka - Hema Malini, K.B. Shanappa and Rajeev Chandrashekhar are due for retirement in April, the legislators in the Karnataka Assembly could do with some introspection before electing the MPs to represent the State.
Performance of RS MPs
(Name, Party, Attendance, Debates, Questions, Private Bills)
Ayanur Manjunath: BJP, 69%,1,0,0
Hema Malini: BJP, 34%, 3, 86, 0
KB Shanappa: BJP, 92%, 12, 10, 0
M Rama Jois: BJP, 88%, 38, 12, 6
M Venkaiah Naidu: BJP, 68%, 38, 6, 0
Prabhakar Kore: BJP, 56%, 2, 20, 0
Anil H Lad: CONG, 63%, 2, 21, 0
Oscar Fernandes: CONG, 86%, 0, 0, 0
Vijay Mallya: IND, 45%, 0, 68, 0
R. Chandrashekhar: IND, 68%, 21, 402, 8
(NOTE: MPs S.M. Krishna and Rehman Khan have been excluded as they are part of the government and hence do not sign register, ask questions or introduce private members bills)