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One in three Bihar election candidates faces criminal charges, including serious offenses.
ADR said around 40% of the candidates are crorepatis, with an average asset value of ₹3.26 crore.
RJD leads with 76% candidates facing criminal cases, followed by BJP and Congress at 65%, and JD(U) at 39%.
As Bihar prepares for the upcoming Assembly elections, a new report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Bihar Election Watch, released on October 28 2025, has raised serious questions about the background of several candidates. The report points out the growing issue of criminalisation in politics, showing that many candidates facing serious criminal charges have still been given tickets by major political parties.
According to the ADR analysis of 1,303 out of 1,314 candidate affidavits, 423 candidates, which is about one in three, have criminal cases registered against them. Out of these, 354 candidates (27%) are accused in serious criminal cases such as murder, attempt to murder, and crimes against women. The report further highlights that 33 candidates face murder charges, 86 are accused of attempt to murder, and 42 have cases related to crimes against women, including two candidates charged with rape.
The report also shows significant wealth concentration among contestants. A total of 519 candidates (about 40%) are crorepatis, with an average declared asset value of around ₹3.26 crore. In terms of education, 519 candidates (40%) have studied between Class 5 and Class 12, while 651 candidates (50%) hold graduate or higher degrees.
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) also released a party-wise breakdown of candidates with criminal records, revealing concerning trends among both major and smaller political parties. According to the report, all five candidates from the Communist Party of India (CPI) and all five from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] have criminal cases against them.
Among the larger parties, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leads the list, with 53 out of 70 candidates (76%) face criminal charges. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 31 out of 48 (65%), while the Indian National Congress (INC) has 15 out of 23 (65%) candidates facing similar charges. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) reported 7 of 13 (54%), and the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] has 22 of 57 (39%) candidates with criminal records.
Among smaller parties, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has 12 of 44 (27%) candidates with criminal cases, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has 18 of 89 (20%).
The report also found that only 9% of candidates are women, which shows gender imbalance in Bihar politics. ADR and Bihar Election Watch stated that they release such reports before every election to help voters make informed choices by understanding the background of their leaders. The data for the report was collected from self-declared affidavits submitted by candidates to the Election Commission.
These findings once again raise concerns about the strong influence of money and muscle power in Bihar’s elections, despite repeated appeals for cleaner politics. However, political experts believe that such reports could encourage voters to make more informed choices and push for greater transparency and accountability in the electoral process. [Rh/SG/VP]
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