Three contestants in the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls have declared zero assets while five billionaires are in the fray. Additionally, 19 per cent of candidates have declared criminal cases.
The five wealthiest candidates are Karnail Singh (BJP, Shakur Basti) with assets totalling Rs 259.67 crore, Manjinder Singh Sirsa (BJP, Rajouri Garden) with Rs 248.85 crore; Gurcharan Singh (Congress, Krishna Nagar) with Rs 130.90 crore; Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma (BJP, New Delhi) with Rs 115.63 crore; and A Dhanwati Chandela (AAP, Rajouri Garden) with Rs 109.90 crore. The zero assets contestants include Shabana(RRP), Yogesh Kumar(Independent) and Mohinder Singh(Rashtrawadi Party), as per polls rights body Association for Democratic Reforms(ADR).
Out of the 699 candidates analysed, 23(3%) candidates have assets worth Rs. 50 crores. Additionally, there are 123 candidates who have declared their assets value over Rs five crore. Notably, the total assets of 699 Candidates are Rs. 3,952 Crores. The average of assets per candidate contesting in the Delhi Assembly polls is Rs 5.65 Crores.
Among those with minimal wealth, Ashok Kumar (Independent) reported assets of Rs 6,586 and Anita (Independent) Rs 9,500.The average assets of candidates reveal significant differences between parties. BJP candidates lead with assets of Rs 22.90 crore on an average, followed by the Congress with Rs 14.41 crore, and AAP with Rs 11.70 crore.
When it comes to criminal cases, the ADR said the figure marks a slight decline from the 2020 election in which 20 per cent of candidates had reported criminal cases in their affidavits. Despite the marginal decrease, the issue of criminality among candidates continues to be a significant concern, according to the ADR.
According to its report, the majority of candidates contesting the Assembly election in Delhi are in the 41-50 age group. Candidates in the 41-50 age range make up the majority with 235, compared to 199 in 2020. There has also been a significant rise in the number of candidates aged over 70. According to the analysis, 19 individuals contesting the election are aged 70 and above against 11 in 2020. Aam Janmat Party candidate Rajender is the oldest in the fray at 88. On the other end of the spectrum, the number of candidates aged between 25 and 30 has declined from 57 in 2020 to 46 in 2025. Bhawana (Independent) and Harshad Chadha (Bahujan Samaj Party), both 25, are the youngest contestants. Compared to the 2020 election, the number of candidates analysed has risen from 672 to 699.
According to ADR, 12 per cent of the candidates in the fray face serious criminal charges, including offences punishable by five or more years in prison. The figure is down from 15 per cent in the previous election.
These charges include cases related to murder, attempted murder, and crimes against women, which remain pressing issues in the electoral landscape. Thirteen candidates have declared cases involving crimes against women while two are charged with murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Five candidates face allegations of attempted murder under Section 307 of the IPC.
Party-wise analysis reveals notable differences in the proportion of candidates with criminal backgrounds.
AAP leads with 63 per cent of its candidates declaring criminal cases, including 41 per cent facing serious charges. The Congress has 41 per cent candidates who have declared criminal cases, including 19 per cent facing serious allegations.
