Hyderabad, May 1 -- Telangana has the highest percentage of women MPs and MLAs with criminal backgrounds in the country, according to a recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Out of 12 sitting women legislators from Telangana, 8 (67%) have declared criminal cases, while 5 (42%) are facing serious charges such as attempt to murder and other grave offences. This puts Telangana among the worst-performing states in terms of criminal records among women lawmakers.

Andhra Pradesh follows closely in terms of percentage, with 14 (58%) of its 24 women legislators facing criminal charges and nine (38%) involved in serious criminal cases.

The ADR analysis covered 512 sitting women MPs and MLAs across India. Nationally, 143...