BJP’s SC/ST Lok Sabha MPs took part in fewer debates than House average and party peers

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

An analysis of the PRS Legislative Research’s MP Track data, from June 24, 2024, to August 23, 2026, by The Hindu reveals that the 24 BJP MPs from SC seats averaged 14.67 debates. This data excludes six Ministers from SC/ST constituencies. The 22 MPs from ST seats averaged 13.05. Together, the 46 MPs averaged 13.89, against 21.53 for all 483 sitting MPs. Party colleagues from other seats did more. The 145 BJP MPs outside SC and ST seats averaged 19.68.