As West Bengal gears up for its two-phase Assembly Elections on April 23 and April 29, a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has flagged a striking trend – several candidates contesting the 294-seat assembly are carrying liabilities running into tens of crores, with at least one candidate’s debts exceeding his declared assets.
The ADR analysis cuts across party lines, with candidates from both the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) featuring among the top 10 most indebted contestants. Topping the list is AITC’s Ahmed Javed Khan from Kasba in South 24 Parganas, whose declared liabilities of over Rs 43 crore outstrip his total assets of around Rs 39 crore, a gap that raises pointed questions about financial transparency ahead of the May 4 counting day.
Top 10 candidates with the highest liabilities
WB Elections 2026: Top 10 Candidates by Declared Liabilities
According to the ADR report, AITC candidate Ahmed Javed Khan from Kasba constituency in South 24 Parganas has the highest declared liabilities. The report revealed that his liabilities are exceeding Rs 43 crore, slightly higher than his total declared assets of around Rs 39 crore.
Close behind is AITC candidate Somenath Shyam Ichini from Jagatdal in North 24 Parganas, with liabilities exceeding Rs 40 crore.
BJP, AITC candidates feature prominently
The list cuts across party lines, with candidates from both the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) featuring among those with the highest liabilities.
BJP candidate Dipankar Jana from Kakdwip has over Rs 10.3 crore in liabilities, including disputed dues. AITC candidate Anisur Rahaman Bidesh from Deganga has over Rs 9 crore and AITC candidate Soham Chakraborty from Karimpur has over Rs 6 crore.
Kolkata and the surrounding districts dominate the list
According to the ADR data, a notable trend is the concentration of such candidates in and around Kolkata and adjoining districts like North and South 24 Parganas.
Candidates such as Dr. Priyanka Tibrewal (BJP, Entally), Palash Rana (BJP, Raidighi), and Santosh Kumar Pathak (BJP, Chowrangee) have liabilities of Rs 5.87 cr, Rs 5.57 cr and Rs 5.50 cr, respectively.
Similarly, AITC candidate Ratna Chatterjee from Behala Paschim has over Rs 5 crore. Indranil Sen (AITC, Chandannagar) also featured on the list with liabilities exceeding Rs 4.5 crore.
What the numbers indicate
The ADR report reveals often overlooked aspect of elections that is the liabilities and not just assets that shape the financial profile of candidates. In some cases, liabilities even exceed declared assets, raising questions about financial transparency and the nature of debts held by candidates.