Criminal Backgrounds of Assam Assembly Candidates Raise Concerns Ahead of Elections
Overview of Candidates with Criminal Records
In the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, a report from the Association for Democratic Reforms reveals that out of 722 candidates, 102, which is approximately 14%, have disclosed criminal charges against themselves. This marks a slight decrease from the 2021 elections, where 15% of the 941 candidates reported similar issues.
Among these, 82 candidates, or 11%, have serious criminal allegations, a reduction from 12% in the previous election cycle. The All India United Democratic Front has the highest percentage of candidates with criminal records, with 11 out of 20 candidates, equating to 37%.
Following them is the Congress party, with 28% of its candidates, and the Asom Gana Parishad, where 23% of candidates have declared criminal cases. The Assam Jatiya Parishad and Raijor Dal each have 20% and 15% of their candidates reporting such cases, respectively.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has 9% of its candidates with criminal backgrounds, while one of three candidates from the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation has also reported a criminal case.
In terms of serious offenses, the All India United Democratic Front leads with 30%, followed by Congress at 20% and BJP at 9%. Notably, two candidates have reported crimes against women, and nine have declared attempts to murder.
The report indicates that the Supreme Court's directives from February 2020, which aimed to improve candidate selection by requiring political parties to justify their choices of candidates with criminal histories, have had minimal effect. The organization criticized the justifications provided by parties, labeling them as unfounded and lacking substance.
It concluded that the data reflects a troubling trend, suggesting that political parties are uninterested in reforming the electoral process, allowing individuals with criminal backgrounds to ascend to positions of power.
Rise in Wealth Among Candidates
The report also highlights a significant increase in the number of candidates with substantial assets. Approximately 39% of those contesting in the 2026 Assam Assembly elections have declared assets exceeding Rs 1 crore, a notable rise from 28% in 2021.
Out of the 722 candidates analyzed, 285 fall into this wealth category. The Bharatiya Janata Party leads with 88% of its candidates declaring assets over Rs 1 crore, followed closely by the Bodoland Peoples Front at 82% and the Assam Jatiya Parishad at 70%.
The Asom Gana Parishad has 69% of its candidates in this bracket, while the Congress party has 61%. The average asset value per candidate has also surged to Rs 3.25 crore, compared to Rs 2.10 crore in the last elections.