Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:24am on 23 Apr 2026,Thursday Politics
A report by Association for Democratic Reforms and West Bengal Election Watch has revealed that 294 out of 1,475 candidates contesting Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 have declared serious criminal cases. Overall, 345 candidates, or 23%, admitted to having criminal charges in their affidavits. This means nearly one in five candidates in the fray faces serious allegations, raising concerns about the criminalisation of politics. The findings are based on self-sworn disclosures submitted by candidates. The report has once again highlighted the need for electoral reforms, greater transparency, and stricter scrutiny of candidates’ backgrounds ahead of voting. (PC: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap)
