Parties failed to publish details of 191 candidates with criminal records in 2026 Assembly polls: ADR report
A report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) reveals that major political parties failed to disclose reasons for fielding 191 candidates with criminal records in the 2026 Assembly elections. The report highlights non-compliance with Supreme Court-mandated Form C7 disclosures across several Indian states.
Why it matters
It highlights a significant transparency issue in Indian democracy regarding the criminalization of politics and the accountability of major political parties.
Major political parties, including the BJP, Congress and AAP, failed to comply with the mandatory Format C7 disclosures explaining the selection of 191 candidates with criminal backgrounds in the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry, according to an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
Form C7, mandated by the Supreme Court, requires political parties to disclose the reasons for selecting candidates with pending criminal cases and explain why alternatives without criminal backgrounds were not chosen.
The report analysed Form C7 disclosures of 3,539 candidates from 51 major political parties across the five elections. Of the 1,405 candidates who declared criminal cases in their affidavits, parties provided Form C7 disclosures for only 1,214 candidates. Reasons for the remaining 191 candidates were either not published or not available.
Lost and found: On the 2026 Assembly elections
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