Guwahati, May 6, 2026: Around 17 per cent of newly elected MLAs in Assam have declared criminal cases against themselves, while a significant 85 per cent are crorepatis, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms.
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The report analysed affidavits of all 126 winning candidates in the 2026 Assam Assembly elections and noted a decline in candidates with criminal cases compared to the 2021 polls. Earlier, 27 per cent (34 MLAs) had declared criminal cases, which has now dropped to 17 per cent (21 MLAs). Of these, 19 MLAs (15 per cent) face serious charges, down from 22 per cent in 2021.
Among specific offences, three MLAs have declared cases related to attempt to murder, while two candidates face charges related to crimes against women.
The data shows variation across political parties. Among the Bharatiya Janata Party, 7 out of 82 winning candidates (9 per cent) have declared criminal cases. In contrast, 9 out of 19 winners (47 per cent) from the Indian National Congress face such cases. Two winners from the All India United Democratic Front and one from the All India Trinamool Congress have also declared criminal cases. Notably, all 10 winning candidates from the Bodoland People’s Front have clean records.
Serious criminal cases are reported against seven MLAs each from BJP and Congress, both MLAs from AIUDF, the lone TMC MLA, one from Raijor Dal, and one from Asom Gana Parishad.
On the financial front, the report highlights a sharp rise in the wealth of legislators. As many as 107 out of 126 MLAs (85 per cent) are crorepatis, up from 67 per cent in 2021. The total declared assets of all winning candidates stand at ₹1,112 crore, while the average asset per MLA has nearly doubled to ₹8.82 crore from ₹4.59 crore in the previous election.
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Among parties, 90 per cent of BJP MLAs are crorepatis, followed by 80 per cent from BPF and 74 per cent from Congress. All winners from AIUDF, AITC, and Raijor Dal have declared assets exceeding ₹1 crore. In terms of average wealth, AIUDF candidates lead with ₹117.77 crore, followed by BPF (₹9.92 crore) and BJP (₹7.50 crore).
Among individuals, Badruddin Ajmal is the richest winning candidate with assets worth over ₹226 crore. He is followed by Sewli Mohilary with ₹63 crore, while Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ranks third with assets worth ₹35 crore.
The ADR report highlights a decline in criminal cases among elected representatives, even as their financial wealth has seen a significant rise in the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
