Criminal Background Candidates in Bihar Assembly Elections 2025

 

Criminal Background Candidates in Bihar Assembly Elections 2025


Based on current reports, approximately 30-35% of the 2025 candidates (estimated
800-900 out of ~2,500 total) declare criminal cases, with major parties
fielding 45-70% tainted candidates.


The Bihar Legislative Assembly elections are scheduled for November 6 and 11, 2025, with results on November 14, 2025. Nominations closed on October 17 for the first phase and October 22 for the second, allowing for comprehensive analysis of candidate affidavits. As of October 22, 2025, parties like the NDA (BJP, JD(U), LJP(RV)) and Mahagathbandhan (RJD, Congress, Left) have finalized their
candidate lists for all 243 seats. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Bihar Election Watch have not yet released a full 2025 report (expected post-nominations), but preliminary data from affidavits and ongoing analyses indicate a continuation of high criminalization trends seen in 2020, where 32% of candidates (1,201 out of 3,722) had criminal cases.


Based on current reports, approximately 30-35% of the 2025 candidates (estimated

800-900 out of ~2,500 total) declare criminal cases, with major parties fielding 45-70% tainted candidates. Serious cases (e.g., murder, kidnapping, crimes against women) affect ~20-25%. This persists despite Supreme Court directives requiring parties to justify such selections—often cited vaguely as "popularity" or "social work." Voter support for such candidates often stems from caste ties, perceived "protection" in lawless areas, and winnability, per field studies in districts like Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur.

Key Statistics from Sitting MLAs (Pre-2025 Baseline)

An ADR analysis of 241/243 current MLAs (from 2020 elections and bypolls) shows the entrenched issue:

Category

Number

Percentage

Details

Total Sitting MLAs Analyzed

241

-

Excludes 2 due to incomplete affidavits.

With Criminal Cases

158

66%

Up from 58% in 2015; includes pending charges.

With Serious Criminal Cases

123

51%

Murder (73 cases), attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women.

Crorepati MLAs

193

80%

Average assets: ₹6.72 crore; 4 in 5 are millionaires.

Education Level (Graduate or Above)

149

62%

34% (82 MLAs) educated 5th-12th; 9 literate only.

Source: ADR/Bihar Election Watch, October 13, 2025.

Notable Candidates with Criminal Backgrounds

Several high-profile candidates with serious charges have been fielded, often in "red alert" constituencies (89% of seats have 3+ tainted candidates, per historical ADR data). Here's a selection based on recent affidavits and arrests:

Candidate

Party

Constituency

Criminal Cases

Key Details

Anant Kumar Singh ("Chhote Sarkar")

JD(U)

Mokama

28 serious cases

Don-turned-politician; charges include murder, extortion, illegal arms; assets ₹37.88 crore. Jailed multiple times; released to file nomination.

Satendra Sah

RJD

Sasaram

Multiple (details pending full affidavit)

Arrested by Jharkhand Police post-nomination on non-bailable warrant; history of contesting 2005-2015; replaced previous RJD winner. Third INDIA bloc candidate arrested in 2025.

Anant Singh (re-nominated, if applicable)

RJD (2020 context, potential repeat)

Mokama

38 serious cases (historical)

7 murder charges; released from jail to file; exemplifies "muscleman" trend.

Various RJD Candidates

RJD

Multiple (e.g., Mahua, Vaishali)

70% of 143 nominees

Highest tainted percentage; includes expelled leader Tej Pratap Yadav's kin; 115 candidates statewide with women-related crimes (12 rape).

BJP/JD(U) Nominees

NDA

Tarapur, Lakhisarai, etc.

45-64% per party

Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary (Tarapur) and Vijay Sinha (Lakhisarai) contesting; 70% of BJP candidates tainted historically.

Sources: Indian Express (October 17), Financial Express (October 21), Scroll.in (October 21).

Party-Wise Trends (Estimated for 2025, Based on Patterns)

Drawing from 2020 data (where RJD topped with 70% tainted) and 2025 nominations:

Party

Seats Contested

% Candidates with Criminal Cases

Notes

RJD

~143

70%

Leads in serious cases; focuses on "winnability" in caste-strongholds.

BJP

~101

70%

High in murder/extortion; justifies via "public support."

JD(U)

~101

49-56%

Nitish Kumar's party; fields turncoats like Chetan Anand (Nabinagar).

Congress

~40-48

64%

Part of Mahagathbandhan; 5 women in first list, but tainted inclusions.

LJP(RV)

~30

52%

Chirag Paswan's faction; 2nd list of 29 includes border security focus.

Jan Suraaj (Prashant Kishor)

~50

~50% (3/4 in bypolls)

Claims "clean" politics but fields extortion/kidnapping accused.

Sources: Scroll.in (2025 analysis), ADR historical (2020).

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