A report released on Saturday by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) reveals that around 38% of candidates contesting the Kerala Assembly elections have declared criminal cases, while 39% are millionaires.

The report examined affidavits of 863 candidates contesting the April 9 elections. Among them, 324 candidates have criminal cases, including 201 facing serious charges.

In comparison, during the 2021 elections, 355 out of 928 candidates had criminal cases, with 167 involving serious offences.

Breaking it down by party, 72 out of 85 Congress candidates have declared criminal cases. This is followed by 59 out of 93 BJP candidates and 51 out of 77 CPM nominees. Additionally, 21 of 25 IUML candidates and 13 of 24 CPI candidates have reported similar cases.

Regarding serious charges, 60 Congress candidates lead the list, followed by 39 from BJP, 21 from CPM, 13 from IUML, and two from CPI.

The report also highlights that 15 candidates are facing cases related to crimes against women, including one case of repeated rape. Four candidates have declared murder charges, while 13 face charges of attempted murder.

It further notes that Supreme Court guidelines appear to have had only a limited effect on candidate selection, as many nominees still have criminal backgrounds.

Referring to a Supreme Court directive issued on February 13, 2020, requiring political parties to justify nominating candidates with criminal records, ADR noted that parties often cite reasons such as “popularity,” “social service,” or claims that the cases are politically motivated.

ADR criticised these justifications, stating they are not valid or convincing reasons to field candidates with questionable backgrounds.

On the financial side, 339 of the 863 candidates are crorepatis. This includes 61 from Congress, 52 each from BJP and CPM, 21 from IUML, and 12 from CPI.

The total declared assets of all candidates stand at ₹2,403 crore, with an average of ₹2.78 crore per candidate — a significant increase from ₹1.69 crore in 2021. The report concludes that the influence of money in elections is evident, as major political parties tend to nominate wealthy candidates.