The latest report on West Bengal Assembly Elections reveals a concerning surge in 'red alert' constituencies and candidates facing criminal charges, raising questions about electoral integrity.
Key Points
- The ADR report reveals that a significant percentage of candidates in the West Bengal elections have declared criminal cases against themselves.
- BJP has the highest number of candidates with declared criminal cases, followed by TMC and Congress.
- There is an increase in the number of 'crorepati' candidates contesting in the West Bengal assembly elections.
- A relatively small percentage of female candidates are contesting in the West Bengal polls.
This time in the West Bengal assembly polls, there are 129 'red alert' constituencies -- seats where three or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases -- a 17 percent rise from the 2021 state elections, according to an ADR report.
The NGO, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which analysed 2,920 candidates in fray in the 2026 Assembly polls, said a little less than a quarter of candidates, 683 (23 percent), in fray have declared criminal cases against themselves, while 589 (20 percent) have declared serious criminal cases.
In the 2021 state assembly polls, out of 2,130 candidates analysed, 528 (25 percent) had declared criminal cases against themselves, while 431 (20 percent) candidates had declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
According to the report, the Bharatiya Janata Party has the most candidates -- 208 (71 percent) out of 293 candidates analysed - who have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
Congress has 76 (26 percent) out of 293, Trinamool Congress 112 (39 percent) out of 290 and Communist Party of India-Marxist 94 (47 percent) out of 198 candidates who have declared criminal cases against themselves.
They are followed by All India Forward Bloc, 8 (35 percent) out of 23 candidates, and Communist Party of India, 3 (18 percent) out of 17 candidates.
Among the major parties, 188 (64 percent) out of 293 candidates analysed from BJP, 63 (22 percent) out of 293 candidates analysed from Congress, 90 (31 percent) out of 290 candidates analysed from TMC, 78 (39 percent) out of 198 candidates analysed from CPI-M, 5 (22 percent) out of 23 candidates analysed from All India Forward Bloc and 2 (12 percent) out of 17 candidates analysed from CPI have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
The report said 192 candidates have declared cases related to crimes against women, and eight of them have declared cases related to rape and a person committing rape repeatedly on the same woman.
While 35 candidates have declared cases of murder, 185 candidates have declared cases of attempt to murder.
The report added that 129 (44 percent) out of 294 constituencies are red alert constituencies. In the last assembly polls, there were 78 (27 percent) such constituencies.
The report added that 129 (44 percent) out of 294 constituencies are red alert constituencies. Red alert constituencies are those where three or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. In the last assembly polls, there were 78 (27 percent) such constituencies.
Out of the 2,920 candidates analysed, 629 (22 percent) are crorepatis, up from 18 percent in the last assembly polls.
Among the major parties, 209 (72 percent) out of 290 candidates analysed from TMC, 143 (49 percent) out of 293 candidates analysed from BJP, 86 (29 percent) out of 293 candidates analysed from Congress, 57 (29 percent) out of 198 candidates analysed from CPI-M, 4 (17 percent) out of 23 candidates analysed from All India Forward Bloc and 4 (24 percent) out of 17 candidates analysed from CPI have declared assets valued more than Rs 1 crore.
The average of assets per candidate contesting in the West Bengal assembly elections 2026 is Rs 1.27 Crore. In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly Elections, the average assets per candidate for 2,130 candidates were Rs. 91.69 Lakhs.
Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 293 BJP candidates analysed is Rs. 2.91 crores, 293 Congress candidates analysed is Rs 1.56 crores, 290 TMC candidates have average assets of Rs 5.39 crores, 198 CPI-M candidates have average assets of Rs 1.07 crores, 23 All India Forward Bloc candidates have average assets of Rs 79.48 lakhs and 17 CPI candidates have average assets worth Rs. 78.44 lakhs.
There are four candidates who have declared zero assets -- independent candidate Mousumi Ghosh (Behala Paschim), Welfare Party of India's Sahajadi Parvin (Uluberia Purba), and Aam Janata Unnayan party's Asif Hussain (Howrah Madhya) and Sk Habib (Uluberia Dakshin).
There are only 385 (13 percent) female candidates contesting in the West Bengal assembly elections 2026. In the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, 240 (11 percent) out of 2,130 candidates analysed were women.
It added that 1,354 (46 percent) candidates declared their educational qualifications to be between the 5th and 12th standard, while 1,419 (49 percent) candidates declared having a graduate or above, 49 candidates are Diploma holders, 68 candidates have declared themselves to be just literate and 30 candidates are illiterates.
There are 854 (29 percent) candidates who have declared their age to be between 25 and 40 years, while 1,567 (54 percent) candidates have declared their age to be between 41 and 60 years. There are 495 (17 percent) candidates who have declared their age to be between 61 and 80 years, and four candidates who have declared their age to be above 80 years.
