The Election Commission of India (ECI) may have promised to keep the polls in West Bengal free from criminal elements, but an analysis has found that 47% of the MLAs in the State have declared criminal cases against themselves. Also, more than 50% are crorepatis, a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and West Bengal Election Watch released on Monday (March 16, 2026) said. The report analysed the criminal, financial and other background details of 291 out of the 294 sitting MLAs in the State. It found that 136 MLAs (47%) have declared criminal cases, while 109 legislators (37%) face serious criminal charges.