Criminal Records and Wealth of Candidates in West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026
Voting Schedule and Candidate Profiles
The first phase of voting for the West Bengal Assembly elections is set for April 23, followed by the second phase on April 29. Notably, around 23% of candidates participating in the second phase have disclosed that they face criminal charges. Additionally, 22% of these candidates are millionaires, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
Criminal Cases Among Candidates
The ADR's analysis covered the affidavits of 1,445 candidates, revealing that 338 (23%) have reported criminal cases against them, with 295 (20%) indicating serious criminal charges. The report highlights that 16 candidates have declared murder charges, while 80 are accused of attempted murder.
BJP's Candidate Profile
According to the ADR report, among the major political parties, the BJP has nominated 102 candidates with criminal backgrounds out of 141 (72%). In comparison, the Trinamool Congress has 49 out of 142 (35%), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has 51 out of 100 (51%), and the Congress has 37 out of 142 (26%) candidates with declared criminal cases.
Wealth Distribution Among Candidates
Out of the 142 constituencies in the state, 63 (44%) are classified as 'red alert' areas, where three or more candidates have criminal cases registered against them. Among the 1,445 candidates, 321 (22%) possess assets exceeding one crore rupees.
Affluence of Candidates by Party
The ADR report indicates that among the major parties, 103 (73%) of the Trinamool Congress candidates, 73 (52%) of the BJP candidates, 36 (25%) of the Congress candidates, and 33 (33%) of the CPI(M) candidates have declared assets worth over one crore rupees. The average wealth of each candidate contesting in the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026 is reported to be 1.21 crore rupees.
Average Wealth by Party
The report further details that the average assets of the 142 Trinamool Congress candidates stand at 5.05 crore rupees, while the BJP candidates average 3.28 crore rupees, CPI(M) candidates average 1.22 crore rupees, and Congress candidates average 1.04 crore rupees.