18% Candidates Have Criminal Cases, 1 in 4 Are Crorepatis

New Delhi: Around 18 per cent of candidates contesting the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections have filed criminal cases against them, while 25 per cent have assets worth more than Rs one billion, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Monday. According to the report, 722 (18 percent) of the 3,992 candidates examined had criminal cases filed against them. Of these, 404 (10 percent) declared serious criminal cases.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, out of 3,559 candidates analyzed, 466 (13 percent) had criminal cases filed against them, and 207 (6 percent) had serious criminal cases filed against them.

Among major parties, 118 out of 170 candidates analyzed (69 percent) from AIADMK, 92 out of 231 candidates analyzed (40 percent) from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, 70 out of 175 candidates analyzed (40 percent) from DMK, 16 out of 33 candidates analyzed (48 percent) from BJP, 16 out of 28 candidates analyzed (48 percent) from BJP 14 (50 per cent) of the INC, nine (50 per cent) of the 18 analyzed candidates from Pattali Makkal Katchi, five (50 per cent) of the 10 analyzed candidates from Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, three (60 per cent) of the five analyzed candidates from the CPI and four (80 per cent) of the five analyzed candidates from the CPI(M) have filed criminal cases against them in their affidavits. They opened it.

At the same time, 60 out of 170 analyzed candidates (35 percent) from AIADMK, 43 out of 231 analyzed candidates (19 percent) from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, 32 out of 175 analyzed candidates (18 percent) from DMK, nine out of 33 analyzed candidates (27 percent) from BJP, five out of 28 analyzed candidates (19 percent) from BJP 18) Six out of 18 analyzed candidates (33 per cent) from INC, Pattali Makkal Katchi, one out of 10 analyzed candidates (10 per cent) from Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam and one out of five analyzed candidates (20 per cent) from CPI have declared serious criminal cases against them in their affidavits.

Of the candidates analyzed, 981 (25%) are crorepatis and 22 (0.55%) are billionaires, meaning they have assets worth Rs 100 crore.

Among major parties, two out of 28 candidates analyzed (seven percent) from INC, seven out of 175 candidates analyzed (four percent) from DMK, three out of 170 candidates analyzed (two percent) from AIADMK, one out of 18 candidates analyzed from Pattali Makkal Katchi (six percent), one out of 11 candidates analyzed from Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (nine percent) and Tamilaga Vettri Percentage of 231 candidates analyzed in Kazhagam declared their assets worth more than Rs 100 billion.

Meanwhile, 27 out of 28 candidates analyzed (96 percent) are from INC, 170 out of 175 candidates analyzed (97 percent) are from DMK, 160 out of 170 candidates (94 percent) are from AIADMK, 31 out of 33 candidates analyzed (94 percent) are from BJP, 16 out of 18 candidates (94 percent) are from BJP. 89) Analyzed from Pattali Makkal) Katchi, 10 out of 10 candidates analyzed from DMDK, 156 out of 231 candidates analyzed (68 per cent) from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and three out of five candidates analyzed (60 per cent) from CPI declared the value of assets to be more than Rs one crore.

While the average assets per candidate contesting in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections was Rs 5.17 billion, in 2021 it was Rs 1.72 billion.

At least four candidates – Mohan Kumar M (All India Jananayaka Makkal Kazhagam) and Independent candidates T Selvaraj, Gunasekaran P and A Jegan Salamondoss – declared zero assets.

The report also stated that 1711 candidates (43 percent) declared that their educational qualifications were between the 5th and 12th standard, 1822 candidates (46 percent) declared that they had a postgraduate education qualification or above, 301 candidates had a diploma, 95 candidates were illiterate and 56 candidates were only literate.

Only 442 (11 percent) of the candidates are women.