Criminal Charges Rise Among West Bengal Legislators, Reflecting Troubling Trend

The latest ADR report reveals 65% of newly elected West Bengal Assembly legislators have declared criminal cases against themselves, an increase from 49% in 2021. The report also highlights the growing wealth among MLAs, with 61% now crorepatis. Women’s representation remains low, with only 13% female MLAs.

In a concerning development, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) reports that 65% of newly elected legislators in the West Bengal Assembly have criminal cases against them. This marks a significant rise from 2021, where only 49% of MLAs faced similar charges.

The analysis, which scrutinized the affidavits of 292 assembly winners, revealed that 58% are implicated in serious crimes, including murder and attempted murder charges. Party-wise, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the highest number of candidates with criminal cases, at 74%, whereas the Indian National Congress’s winning candidates reported no criminal cases.

The report also highlights an increase in wealth among legislators, with 61% identified as crorepatis, up from 54% in the previous elections. Despite these developments, the gender representation gap persists, as women comprise only 13% of the assembly, slightly down from the previous term.