Preparations for the 18th Lok Sabha elections are in full swing, with several sitting MPs from Bihar scrambling to secure tickets from the NDA coalition. Amidst this, a report prepared by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) based on the attendance and questioning patterns of Bihar MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha sheds light on their performance.
According to the report, Bihar MPs attended an average of 197 out of the total 273 sessions in the 17th Lok Sabha. However, their performance in terms of asking questions was lackluster, with an average of only 119 questions asked per MP. Some MPs even failed to ask a single question during their tenure, including former ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Radha Mohan Singh.
The presence and questioning activity of MPs from different parties varied, with JDU and BJP MPs attending 218 and 191 sessions respectively. In terms of questions asked, JDU MPs outperformed BJP MPs, with 156 questions compared to 149. The performance of LJP lagged slightly behind with 34 questions, while Congress MP Dr. Javed managed to ask 196 questions.
Notably, two Bihar MPs, Ramchandra Paswan and Baijnath Prasad, passed away during the 17th Lok Sabha tenure. Despite being elected, Ramchandra Paswan did not ask any questions, while Baijnath Prasad managed to ask 10 questions before his demise.
Among the active MPs in questioning and attendance, four MPs failed to secure tickets this time, including Rama Devi and Ajay Nishad. Despite their active participation, they were not nominated by their respective parties.
The report also highlights the top performers in terms of attendance and questions asked, with Mahabali Singh leading in both categories with 97.8% attendance and 335 questions asked. Other top performers include Jarnadan Singh Sigriwal, Kaushalendra Kumar, and Rama Devi.
In conclusion, the report underscores the importance of active participation and engagement of MPs in parliamentary proceedings, especially in representing the interests and concerns of their constituents.
