The BJP tops the chart: 152 of its 206 winning candidates face criminal cases. When it comes to serious charges alone, that number sits at 68% for BJP winners
NEW DELHI — In a stark indictment of West Bengal’s political landscape, a fresh report by a poll watchdog reveals that a staggering 65% of the state’s newly elected MLAs are tangled in criminal cases, with murder, rape, and corruption charges dotting affidavits across party lines.
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) dropped the bombshell on Tuesday, disclosing that 58% of legislators face serious criminal cases — offences punishable by five years or more, non-bailable charges, or cases tied to public funds.
The BJP tops the chart: 152 of its 206 winning candidates — 74% — face criminal cases. When it comes to serious charges alone, that number sits at 68% for BJP winners. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) isn’t far behind, with 25 of its 80 MLAs, or 31%, facing such charges.
According to ADR’s deep dive, 170 legislators have declared serious criminal cases — a sharp jump from 113 in 2021.
In total, 190 out of 292 MLAs analysed, roughly 65%, have criminal cases registered against them.
ADR categorised serious criminal cases as those involving murder, attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, rape, crimes against women, and corruption. The list also covers offences under the Representation of the People Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The breakdown gets grimmer: 14 MLAs have declared murder cases, 54 face attempted murder charges, and 63 are linked to crimes against women — including two candidates staring down rape charges.
ADR was quick to clarify that these are charges filed, not convictions. The cases come from self-sworn affidavits, and candidates often dismiss them as a political vendetta.
The criminal-case streak cuts across smaller players, too. Every single winning candidate from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), All India Secular Front, and Aam Janata Unnayan Party declared serious criminal cases. The Congress stood alone — both its winners have clean records.
Wealth Surge Runs Parallel
The criminal allegations aren’t the only numbers climbing. The report flags a steep rise in the declared wealth of the legislators.
A total of 178 out of 292 MLAs — 61% — are now crorepatis, up from 54% in the 2021 assembly.
The collective declared assets of all MLAs hit ₹1,091 crore, pushing the average per legislator to ₹3.7 crore, up from ₹2.5 crore last term.
Party-wise, TMC MLAs averaged ₹5.3 crore in assets, BJP MLAs reported ₹2.9 crore, while the two Congress MLAs topped the list with an eye-watering ₹17.9 crore average. BJP leader Dilip Saha claimed the single highest declaration at over ₹43 crore.
For the 102 re-elected MLAs, the wealth spike is even sharper. “Their average assets increased by 60%, rising from ₹2.3 crore in 2021 to ₹3.8 crore,” the report stated.
Gender Gaps Persist
The assembly continues to fall short on gender balance. Just 37 women were elected among the 292 MLAs analysed — only 13% of the total, a slight dip from 14% in the last assembly.
On education, 63% of MLAs hold graduate degrees or higher, while 32% studied between Class 5 and Class 12. One MLA declared himself illiterate.
