A new analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has revealed that 65 per cent of newly elected lawmakers in the West Bengal Assembly have declared criminal cases against themselves -- a steep increase from the previous election cycle. The study examined affidavits of all 292 winning candidates from the 2026 polls and found that 190 MLAs fall under this category, compared to 142 in 2021.
The report noted that 170 legislators, or 58 per cent, face serious charges. This includes 14 winners who have declared cases related to murder and 54 charged with attempted murder. In addition, 63 MLAs have mentioned cases linked to crimes against women, with two candidates reporting rape allegations.
BJP tops list of MLAs with criminal background
Party-wise data shows the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leading the list, with 152 out of its 206 winning candidates declaring criminal cases. The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) follows with 34 of its 80 MLAs under similar scrutiny. Smaller parties such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Aam Janata Unnayan Party and All India Secular Front also have all their elected candidates facing criminal allegations. In stark contrast, both lawmakers from the Indian National Congress have clean records.
Growing wealth among elected representatives
The ADR report highlights a significant rise in wealth among MLAs. Of the 292 winners, 178 are crorepatis, a jump from 54 per cent in 2021. The combined assets of all legislators stand at Rs 1,091 crore, with an average of Rs 3.73 crore per MLA compared to Rs 2.53 crore previously. TMC MLAs have an average asset value of Rs 5.36 crore, BJP MLAs have Rs 2.97 crore on average, while the two Congress MLAs top the chart with Rs 17.92 crore each.
Education and age profile of new assembly
The report shows that 63 per cent of MLAs are graduates or hold higher qualifications. About 32 per cent have studied between Classes 5 and 12. A small group has limited formal education, including one MLA who declared himself illiterate. In terms of age distribution, most legislators fall between 41 and 60 years, while only 16 per cent are in the 25 to 40 range. Nearly 20 per cent are between 61 and 80, and three are above 80 years.
Women continue to be underrepresented
The new Assembly has only 37 women MLAs, accounting for 13 per cent. This marks a slight drop from 2021, where women held 14 percent of the seats. The ADR report concludes that the twin issues of increasing criminal backgrounds and growing wealth concentration among elected representatives continue to be major concerns for democratic transparency and governance in the state.
