BJP’s SC/ST Lok Sabha MPs participated in fewer debates than the House average and party colleagues

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. Photo: Sansad TV via ANI Video Grab

Days after Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asking for more space for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe MPs from the ruling NDA coalition, analysis reveals that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs elected from SC and ST seats participated in fewer Lok Sabha debates than the average of their own party colleagues in the House.

Also Read: Jitan Ram Manjhi says SC/ST MPs don’t get enough time to speak in Parliament

An analysis of MP Track PRS Legislative Research data from 24 June 2024 to 23 August 2026 by The Hindu shows that 24 BJP MPs from SC seats had an average of 14.67 debates. These figures do not include six ministers from SC/ST constituencies. 22 MPs from ST seats averaged 13.05. Altogether, the 46 MPs averaged 13.89 compared to 21.53 for all 483 MPs. Party colleagues from other places did more. The 145 BJP MPs outside SC and ST seats averaged 19.68.

Compared to all BJP MPs elected on unreserved seats, BJP MPs in the SC had an average of 4.14 fewer debates (14.67 vs 18.80). ST-based BJP MLAs averaged 5.92 less (13.05 vs 18.96).

Forty-two-year-old Mahendra Singh Solanky, elected for the second time from Dewas, is the only one of the 46 MPs who did not participate in any debate. Nine are above the House average, with Palamau BJP MP Vishnu Dayal Ram leading with 44 debates and Palghar’s Hemant Vishnu Savara a close second with 43.

The pattern is not limited to the BJP. Across all parties, SC MPs had an average of 18.22 debates compared to 22.15 for others, and ST MPs averaged 17.67 against 21.91.

The main opposition Congress also saw a gap, with MPs from SC seats averaging 19 against 23.38 for party peers. Congress MLAs from ST seats averaged 24.42, more than their counterparts’ 22.22.

In his letter dated September 16, Mr. Manjhi referred to the “NDA sansad samooh samvaad baithak” (a dialogue meeting of a group of NDA MPs) held at his residence on August 5. He said BJP Lok Sabha MP Gajendra Singh Patel, who represents Khargone, a reserved tribal constituency in Madhya Pradesh, did not speak at the time of the speech that important communities had not been spoken to since the SCST. Bills in Parliament. Mr. Manjhi urged the Speaker to take steps to rectify the situation.

Published – 28 Sep 2026 22:21 IST