While a lot of political observers focus on the larger political transition in West Bengal, a key trend that has emerged from the recent democratic exercise is a compelling increase in the average wealth (assets held) of winning candidates in assembly elections.
Interestingly, the surge in the value of average assets held by winning candidates in West Bengal assembly elections has also coincided with a dramatic jump in the number of candidates with criminal cases registered against them. An analysis of affidavits filed by winning candidates in the 2026 Assembly elections shows that a majority of MLAs entering the House are crorepatis, with the average assets per winner rising sharply over the last three election cycles.
Data released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and West Bengal Election Watch shows that 178 out of 292 analysed winning candidates or 61% have declared assets worth over Rs 1 crore.
The figure marks a jump from 54% crorepati winners in 2021, 34% in 2016 and just 15% in 2011.
The combined declared wealth of the 292 analysed winners stands at over Rs 1,091 crore, while the average assets per winning candidate have climbed to Rs 3.73 crore, up from Rs 2.53 crore in the 2021 Assembly polls.
BJP dominates seats; TMC winners richer on average
While the BJP emerged as the dominant electoral force with 207 seats, the financial profile of winning MLAs paints a more nuanced picture.
According to ADR’s analysis, BJP winners reported average assets of Rs 2.97 crore, whereas the 80 winning candidates from the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) declared average assets of Rs 5.36 crore, nearly double that of BJP legislators.
Among Congress winners, the average declared wealth was even higher at Rs 17.92 crore. However, it becomes important for us to note here that only 2 Congress candidates were able to win seats in the recently concluded elections for Bengal.
WB Elections 2026: Wealth & Crime of Winners ADR analysis of 292 of 293 winning candidates | Source: Self-sworn ECI affidavits
Party-wise, 55% BJP winners are crorepatis. In contrast, 74% of TMC’s 80 winners, amounting to 74%, declared assets above Rs 1 crore. 100% of Congress and Aam Janata Unnayan Party winners are crorepatis as well. Alongside Congress, AJUP also only secured 2 seats.
Bengal’s richest MLAs: Murshidabad dominates the list
The list of the wealthiest winning candidates is led by BJP’s Dilip Saha from Nabagram (SC) in Murshidabad district, who declared total assets worth Rs 43.03 crore. His affidavit includes movable assets worth Rs 16.58 crore and immovable assets of Rs 26.45 crore.
He is followed by TMC’s Ahmed Javed Khan from Kasba with assets worth Rs 39.53 crore, and TMC’s Bayron Biswas from Sagardighi with Rs 33.42 crore in declared assets.
Murshidabad features prominently among Bengal’s wealthiest legislators. Four of the top 10 richest winning candidates hail from the district. The broader top-10 list also includes names such as Firhad Hakim, Dipankar Jana, Nandita Chowdhury and Julfikar Ali.
Among the wealthiest winners:
- Dilip Saha (BJP, Nabagram SC): Rs 43.03 crore
- Ahmed Javed Khan (AITC, Kasba): Rs 39.53 crore
- Bayron Biswas (AITC, Sagardighi): Rs 33.42 crore
- Swaraj Ghosh (BJP, Saptagram): Rs 28.98 crore
- Nandita Chowdhury (AITC, Howrah Dakshin): Rs 26.44 crore
Re-elected MLAs see sharp jump in assets
The report also analysed the finances of 102 re-elected MLAs and found a substantial rise in their wealth over the last five years.
The average assets of re-elected legislators increased from Rs 2.39 crore in 2021 to Rs 3.83 crore in 2026 a jump of nearly 60%. BJP re-elected MLAs saw average asset growth of 85.73%, while AITC legislators recorded an average increase of 52.87%.
Sharp divide between rich and low-asset legislators
Even as crorepati MLAs dominate the Assembly, the report also highlights stark financial disparities among winners.
Thirty-three winning candidates declared assets of less than Rs 20 lakh, while 27 MLAs declared assets exceeding Rs 10 crore. The largest chunk of legislators: 119 winners or 41% fall within the Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore asset bracket.
At the lower end of the spectrum, BJP’s Chiran Bera from Uluberia Uttar (SC) declared total assets of just Rs 17,768, making him the least wealthy winning candidate in the state. BJP’s Koushik Chowdhury from Raiganj followed with declared assets of Rs 31,847.
The ADR data suggests that while Bengal’s legislature is becoming increasingly affluent overall, a section of representatives continue to contest and win with minimal declared wealth.
Criminal cases rise alongside wealth
The rising wealth of Bengal’s legislators has also coincided with a sharp increase in the number of MLAs facing criminal cases.
According to ADR, 65% of recently elected MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves, up from 49% in 2021. Of these, 170 winners, or 58%, face serious criminal charges.
The BJP accounts for the highest number of winning candidates with criminal cases, with 152 out of 206 analysed winners declaring such cases. Among AITC winners, 34 out of 80 have declared criminal cases.
The report further states that 14 winning candidates have declared cases related to murder, while 54 winners have disclosed cases linked to attempted murder. Sixty-three winning candidates declared cases related to crimes against women, including two who disclosed rape-related charges.