ADR Report Finds Sharp Rise in Criminal Cases Among Kerala MLAs

A majority of newly elected legislators in Kerala have declared criminal cases and substantial personal wealth, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms and Kerala Election Watch after the recently concluded Assembly elections.

The report, based on the self-sworn affidavits of 135 out of 140 winning candidates, stated that 114 MLAs, or 84 per cent , have declared criminal cases against themselves. This marks a sharp rise from the 2021 Assembly polls, when 96 legislators, or 71 per cent, had disclosed criminal cases.

Among them, 77 winning candidates, accounting for 57 per cent, have declared serious criminal cases, compared to 37 MLAs, or 27 per cent, in the previous election.

The report noted that one winning candidate declared a murder case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, while another disclosed a case related to attempt to murder under Section 307. Three candidates also declared cases related to crimes against women, including one case involving allegations of repeated rape.

Party-wise analysis showed that 53 out of 59 winning candidates from the Indian National Congress declared criminal cases. In the Communist Party of India (Marxist), 20 out of 26 winning candidates reported criminal cases, while all three winning candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party also declared criminal cases in their affidavits.

On the financial front, the report revealed that 93 of the 135 analysed winning candidates, or 69 per cent, are crorepatis. In comparison, 75 MLAs, or 55 per cent, were crorepatis in the 2021 Assembly.

The average assets of winning candidates have more than doubled over the last five years, increasing from Rs 3.12 crore in 2021 to Rs 6.94 crore in 2026. The combined declared assets of the 135 analysed MLAs stand at approximately Rs 937 crore.

Among the richest candidates, Reji Cheriyan from Kuttanad topped the list with declared assets exceeding Rs 218 crore. Rajeev Chandrasekhar followed with assets worth more than Rs 111 crore, while Shibu Theckumpuram declared assets above Rs 68 crore.

The report also stated that Rajeev Chandrasekhar declared the highest liabilities among the winning candidates, amounting to more than Rs 109 crore.

In terms of education, 98 winning candidates, or 73 per cent, declared themselves graduates or above, while 31 candidates reported educational qualifications between Class 8 and Class 12.

Women continue to remain underrepresented in the Assembly, with only nine women MLAs elected in 2026 compared to 11 women legislators in 2021.

The report further noted that 55 MLAs were re-elected this year and that their average assets increased by nearly 20 per cent since the previous election.