Guwahati: An analysis of the affidavits submitted by candidates contesting the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly election has revealed a significant reality of electoral politics—the strong influence of money power. Major political parties have largely preferred wealthy candidates while distributing tickets, raising fresh concerns about equality and representation in the democratic process.
According to the analysis, out of 90 candidates fielded by the BJP, 79 (88%) are crorepatis. In the Congress, 60 out of 99 candidates (61%) have assets worth more than ₹1 crore. Similarly, 16 out of 30 candidates (53%) from the AIUDF and 18 out of 26 candidates (69%) from the Asom Gana Parishad are crorepatis.
Among other parties, 10 out of 18 candidates (56%) from the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), 6 out of 13 candidates (46%) from Raijor Dal, 9 out of 11 candidates (82%) from the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), and 7 out of 10 candidates (70%) from the Asom Jatiya Parishad have declared assets exceeding ₹1 crore. In addition, both candidates (100%) from CPI(M) and one out of three candidates (33%) from CPI(ML)(L) have also declared assets above ₹1 crore.
Overall, out of the 722 candidates contesting the election, 285 are crorepatis. The total declared assets of all candidates together amount to around ₹2,352 crore. The average assets per candidate are estimated at about ₹3.25 crore, indicating a rise compared to previous elections.
When examined party-wise, the average assets of candidates from the BJP stand at ₹7.01 crore, while Congress candidates have an average of ₹6.92 crore. The average assets of AIUDF candidates are ₹1.88 crore, Asom Gana Parishad candidates ₹3.38 crore, UPPL candidates ₹1.86 crore, and Raijor Dal candidates ₹1.04 crore. Notably, candidates from the Bodoland People’s Front have the highest average assets at ₹9.33 crore. The average assets of candidates from Asom Jatiya Parishad are ₹5.46 crore. Among Left parties, CPI(M) candidates have an average asset value of ₹1.67 crore, while CPI(ML)(L) candidates have an average of ₹66.76 lakh.
The three candidates with the highest declared assets in this election are Rahul Roy of the Congress with more than ₹261 crore, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal with over ₹226 crore, and Congress candidate Jayanta Khandu with assets exceeding ₹67 crore. On the other hand, independent candidate Gautam Nath from Hailakandi and Farik Zaman Mazumdar have declared assets of only ₹400–₹500, making them the candidates with the lowest declared wealth.
In terms of educational qualifications, 323 candidates (45%) have declared their education level between Class V and Class XII. Meanwhile, 384 candidates (53%) have stated that they possess a graduate degree or higher qualification. Twelve candidates hold diploma qualifications, while three candidates have declared themselves to be merely literate.
Regarding age distribution, 174 candidates (24%) are between 25 and 40 years old, while the majority—435 candidates (60%)—fall within the 41 to 60 age group. Another 113 candidates (16%) are between 61 and 80 years old, indicating the dominance of middle-aged candidates in the electoral field.
Gender representation remains limited. In the 2026 Assam Assembly election, only 60 women candidates (8%) are contesting. This figure is almost the same as the 2021 election, where 76 women candidates (also around 8%) had contested, suggesting that women’s participation in electoral politics has not improved significantly.
Another important aspect is the presence of candidates with criminal cases. In the current election, 102 candidates (14%) have declared criminal cases against them. Among them, 82 candidates have declared serious criminal charges. This reflects the continuing concern about the criminalization of politics.
Overall, the data paints a clear picture—money power, influence, and socio-economic disparities continue to play a major role in Assam’s electoral politics. These statistics are expected to raise awareness among voters and trigger wider discussions about candidate selection and the transparency of the democratic process ahead of the election.
