Assam polls: 14% candidates have criminal cases against them, 11% with serious charges

Of the 722 candidates contesting in the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, 102, or 14% of them, have declared criminal cases against themselves, the non-governmental organisation Association for Democratic Reforms has said in a report.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, 138 of 941 candidates, or about 15%, had reported similar criminal cases.

A total of 82 candidates, or 11%, have declared serious criminal cases against themselves this time, as compared to 12% in 2021.

The highest proportion of candidates with declared criminal cases comes from the All India United Democratic Front. The party has fielded 20 candidates, out of which 11, or 37%, are accused of crimes.

This is followed by the Congress, with 28 of 99 candidates, or 28%, and the Asom Gana Parishad, with six of 26 candidates, 23%.

Two, or 20%, of the Assam Jatiya Parishad’s candidates and two, or 15%, of the Raijor Dal’s have declared criminal cases.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded eight, or 9% of candidates, with such cases. One of three candidates from the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation has also declared a criminal case.

Among serious criminal cases, the All India United Democratic Front has the highest share at 30%, followed by the Congress at 20%. The BJP has 9% of candidates with serious cases.

Two candidates have declared cases related to crimes against women. Nine candidates have declared cases of attempt to murder.

The data suggests that directions issued by the Supreme Court in February 2020 have had a limited impact on candidate selection, the Association for Democratic Reforms said in its report.

The court had asked political parties to publicly justify why candidates with criminal backgrounds were chosen over those without such records.

“During the recent two state Assembly elections held in 2025, it was observed that political parties gave unfounded and baseless reasons like popularity of the person, does good social work, cases are politically motivated.” the organisation said. “These are not sound and cogent reasons for fielding candidates with tainted backgrounds.”

It added: “This data clearly shows that political parties have no interest in reforming the electoral system and our democracy will continue to suffer at the hands of lawbreakers who become lawmakers.”

Increase in candidates with assets over Rs 1 crore

As many as 39% of candidates contesting the 2026 Assam Assembly elections have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore, said the report.

Of the 722 candidates analysed, 285 fall in this category. In 2021, 264 of 941 candidates, or 28%, had declared assets exceeding Rs 1 crore.

Among major parties, the highest share is from the Bharatiya Janata Party, where 79 of 90 candidates, or 88%, have declared assets above Rs 1 crore. This is followed by the Bodoland Peoples Front at 82% and the Assam Jatiya Parishad at 70%.

The Asom Gana Parishad has 69% of candidates in this category, while the Congress has 61%.

The average assets per candidate in the 2026 elections are Rs 3.25 crore, up from Rs 2.10 crore in 2021.