The MLA report card for 2014 released by Praja Foundation has BJP MLA from Charkop, Yogesh Sagar leading the rankings with Amin Patel (Congress- Mumbadevi) and Madhukar Chavan (Congress-Byculla) as runners up.
The trio has retained their ratings from the previous years, with Sagar at number one for the third time in a row. Mumbai accounts for 36 of the Maharashtra's 288 MLAs and the report card, which is the fourth in the series and the last for the tenure of the present assembly, has considered the performance of 32 MLAs barring four ministers (Nasim Khan, Suresh Shetty, Varsha Gaikwad and Sachin Ahir). BJP's Prakash Mehta (Ghatkopar East) sits at the bottom of the table.
Evaluation criteria
The MLAs have been evaluated on various parameters namely: number and quality of questions asked in the assembly, attendance during assembly sessions, criminal record, education qualification, corruption perception, perceived accountability for the people and perceived performance. Negative marking was done for new criminal cases after the 2009 elections and pending charge sheets. Nearly half of city's legislators face criminal cases. New FIRs and chargesheets were filed against 10 MLAs, three of whom had no cases registered against them in the 2009 affidavits.
More accessible as polls near
Not surprisingly, the perceived accessibility of these elected representatives for the common man decreased in 2012 and 2013 as compared in 2011 but shot up in 2014, the year in which elections are due in the state. "This shows the trend of how elected representatives behave towards the common man and the aam aadmi," said Nitai Mehta, founder trustee, Praja. "There is a growing frustration building up among citizens due to decline of governance," added Mehta, noting that "people in the lower socio-economic strata are more clued in to their elected representatives (as against those from the upper strata)."
Party-wise, NCP on top
The party-wise average score, which signifies their overall performance, has declined at the end of the MLAs term though the ruling NCP fares better than their counterparts from other parties. The average score for the five BJP legislators was 55.52 and that for the Congress, whose 14 MLAs were considered, is at a higher 60.81. The averages scores for the MNS (6) is 60.41, while that for the NCP (2), Samajwadi Party (1) and Shiv Sena (4) is 63.11, 55.23 and 62.57. The overall score is 61.44.
Survey methodology
The quantifiable data in the appraisal was collected through RTI applications, while Hansa Research was commissioned for a survey of over 22,580 people from Mumbai, with an average of 100 respondents in each municipal ward being covered. This report card also covers the working and performance of the MLAs during the three legislature sessions last year and utilisation of local area development fund between December 2009 and March 2014.
2014 rankings
Yogesh Sagar- Charkop- BJP
Amin Patel- Congress- Mumbadevi
Madhukar Chavan- Congress- Byculla
Jagannath Shetty- Congress- Sion Koliwada
Bala Nandgaonkar (MNS- Shivdi)
Mangesh Sangle (MNS- Vikhroli)
Nawab Malik (NCP- Anushaktinagar)
Ashokbhau Jadhav (Congress- Andheri West)
Subhash Desai (Shiv Sena- Goregaon)
Rajhans Singh (Congress- Dindoshi)
Rameshsingh Thakur (Congress- Kandivali)
Kalidas Kolambkar (Congress- Wadala)
Krishna Hegde (Congress- Vile Parle)
Aslam Shaikh (Congress- Malad)
Ravindra Waikar (Shiv Sena- Jogeshwari)
Prakash (Bala) Sawant (Shiv Sena- Vandre East)
Milind Kamble (NCP- Kurla)
Baldev Khosa (Congress- Versova)
Baba Siddiqui (Congress- Vandre West)
Shishir Shinde (MNS- Bhandup)
Vinod Ghosalkar (Shiv Sena- Dahisar)
Annie Shekhar (Congress- Colaba)
Nitin Sardesai (MNS- Mahim)
Sardar Tara Singh (BJP- Mulund)
Abu Azmi (SP- Mankhurd Shivajinagar)
Mangalprabhat Lodha (BJP- Malabar Hill)
Chandrakant Handore (Congress- Chembur)
Gopal Shetty (BJP- Borivali)
Pravin Darekar (MNS- Magathane)
Ram Kadam (MNS- Ghatkopar West)
Krpiashanker Singh (Congress- Kalina)
Prakash Mehta (BJP- Ghatkopar East)
Questions asked
Bala Nandgaonkar 4,933
Mangesh Sangle 4,020
Subhash Desai 3,099
Chandrakant Handore 23
Annie Shekhar 23
Baldev Khosa 64
Most questions pertained to civic issues like roads and sewage
Usage of MLA fund
Barring Baba Siddiqui (Vandre- West), all legislators used over 90% of their local area development funds. Nandgaonkar allocated funds (Rs 8.82 crore) in excess of his outlay (Rs 7,75 crore). However, the report card does not involve the qualitative use of these funds.
Attendance %
Madhukar Chavan 99
Ravindra Waikar 98
Jadhav (97%).
Kripshanker Singh 58
Prakash Mehta 71
Chandrakant Handore 72
Average house attendance 87
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}