As Bihar gears up for the first phase of its Assembly elections on 6 November, a startling report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Bihar Election Watch has revealed the disturbing criminal and financial backgrounds of candidates in the fray. Out of 1,314 candidates, 27% are accused in serious criminal cases — including charges of murder, attempt to murder, rape, and atrocities against women.

The ADR report, based on affidavits of 1,303 candidates, found that 423 (32%) have declared criminal cases, while 354 (27%) face serious criminal charges. Among them, 33 candidates face murder charges, 86 are booked for attempted murder, and 42 are accused of crimes against women. Alarmingly, two candidates have mentioned rape cases against themselves. The party-wise analysis paints an even darker picture. All CPM candidates (100%) face serious charges, followed by CPI (80%), CPI (ML) (64%), RJD (60%), and BJP (56%). Congress too fares poorly, with 52% of its candidates accused under serious sections.

Breakdown by major political parties

The ADR data shows:

• Jansuraj: 49 of 114 (43%) have serious cases
• BSP: 16 of 89 (18%)
• RJD: 42 of 70 (60%)
• JDU: 15 of 57 (26%)
• BJP: 27 of 48 (56%)
• AAP: 9 of 44 (20%)
• Congress: 12 of 23 (52%)
• CPI (ML): 9 of 14 (64%)
• LJP (R): 5 of 13 (38%)
• CPI: 4 of 5 (80%)
• CPM: 3 of 3 (100%)

In all, 65% of BJP and Congress candidates have declared some form of criminal record, revealing the extent of criminalisation in Bihar politics.

40% candidates are crorepatis

Money and muscle continue to dominate Bihar’s politics. According to the ADR analysis, 519 candidates (40%) are crorepatis, with an average asset value of ₹3.26 crore. Educationally, 519 candidates (40%) have studied only up to class 12, while 651 (50%) are graduates or postgraduates. Only 9% of the total candidates are women.

Profiles of key leaders and ministers

Samrat Chaudhary: 6 times richer than Nitish Kumar

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, contesting from Tarapur, declared assets worth ₹11.5 crore, six times higher than CM Nitish Kumar. He owns immovable property worth ₹9.29 crore and a Doctor of Literature degree from Kamaraj University.

His wife, Mamta, earned ₹12.73 lakh in 2024–25, with total assets worth ₹1.35 crore. The couple collectively own 400 grams of gold, 500 grams of silver, a Bolero car worth ₹7 lakh, and two licensed weapons, a rifle and a revolver worth ₹6 lakh combined.

Vijay Kumar Sinha: Wife richer than the Deputy CM

The second Deputy CM, Vijay Sinha, contesting from Lakhisarai, declared movable assets worth ₹1.01 crore and immovable property of ₹3.2 crore. His wife, Sushila Devi, surpasses him with ₹2.81 crore in movable and ₹4.59 crore in immovable assets.

She also owns 450 grams of gold, compared to her husband’s 90 grams. The family garage includes a Mahindra XUV700 and a Bolero, while the couple together owe nearly ₹22.65 lakh in debt.

Prem Kumar: 8-time MLA with ₹3.16 crore assets

Veteran BJP leader Prem Kumar, contesting from Gaya City, declared assets worth ₹3.16 crore. He and his wife Prabhavati Devi together own over 1 kg of gold and 10.5 kg of silver, apart from a Tata Safari worth ₹8.36 lakh. He also holds three licensed firearms valued at ₹10 lakh.

Renu Devi: ₹5.5 Crore in assets, 2 cars, and firearms

Minister Renu Devi, contesting from Bettiah, declared ₹5.5 crore in assets, including properties in Patna, Bettiah, and Kolkata. She owns 510 grams of gold, two cars (Innova and Scorpio), and licensed firearms worth over ₹1.3 lakh. Her total debt stands at ₹5.46 lakh.

Mangal Pandey: 3 criminal cases, assets worth ₹2.86 crore

BJP leader Mangal Pandey from Siwan Sadar has three criminal cases registered against him. His total assets stand at ₹2.86 crore, shared with his wife. Together, they own nearly 1 kg of gold, 7 kg of silver, a Tata Safari, and two firearms.

Sunil Kumar: Wealth up by ₹6 crore in 5 years

Biharsharif MLA and minister Dr. Sunil Kumar’s wealth jumped from ₹11.5 crore to ₹17.5 crore in just five years. His income rose sixfold in one year, from ₹28.59 lakh in 2023–24 to ₹1.67 crore in 2024–25. He faces six criminal cases and owns an Innova, multiple gold ornaments, and firearms.

Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu: Richest minister in Bihar cabinet

Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu, BJP candidate from Chhatapur, tops the wealth chart with ₹11.97 crore in assets. His wife and former MLC Nutan Singh also owns ₹7.42 crore in assets. The couple own nearly 760 grams of gold, 2.7 kg of silver, and several luxury vehicles including a Fortuner.

Other ministers and candidates

• Jivesh Mishra (Jale) – ₹2 crore assets, 3 criminal cases, 750g of gold.
• Sanjay Sarawagi (Darbhanga) – ₹4 crore assets, owns gold worth ₹70 lakh.

• Nitin Naveen (Bankipur) – ₹1.59 crore assets, 5 criminal cases, 2 cars.
• Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur) – ₹4.92 crore assets, income dropped after becoming minister.
• Krishna Kumar Mantu (Amanour) – ₹7 crore assets, 5 criminal cases, heavy debts.

• Vijay Kumar Mandal (Banka) – ₹2 crore assets, no criminal record, owns rifle.
• Raju Singh (Sahebganj) – 10 criminal cases, ₹11 crore assets, two luxury cars, and petrol pump owner.
• Bijendra Yadav (Supaul) – ₹4 crore assets, clean record, no vehicle owned.
• Vijay Kumar Chaudhary (Samastipur) – ₹1.79 crore assets, owns only an Alto car.
• Maheshwar Hazari (Kalyanpur) – ₹4 crore assets, has a home loan from SBI.
• Shravan Kumar (Nalanda) – ₹1.7 crore assets, rifle and revolver owner.
• Leshi Singh (Dhamdaha) – ₹2.22 crore assets, owns 2 trucks and 3 cars.

• Sumit Singh (Chakai) – ₹7 crore assets, wife richer, both possess licensed arms.
• Madan Sahni (Bahadurpur) – ₹3 crore assets, ₹79 lakh debt, owns three vehicles.

• Sheela Mandal (Phulparas) – ₹3.59 crore assets, no car, owns 3 kg of silver.
• Ratnesh Sada (Sonbarsa) – ₹2.22 crore assets, both husband and wife under debt.

The ADR findings once again expose the deep nexus between crime, money, and politics in Bihar. Nearly one-third of candidates in the first phase face serious charges, and four out of ten are crorepatis. As the state heads into elections, voters face a difficult question, whether to prioritise development or power-backed political muscle.