126 Winning Tamil Nadu MLAs Face Pending Criminal Cases, Report Reveals

At least 126 candidates elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in the April 23, 2026 elections have pending criminal cases against them, according to a report released on May 9, 2026 by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Tamil Nadu Election Watch (TNEW). The analysis covered the self-sworn affidavits of 233 of the 234 winning candidates, revealing that 56 of them declared serious criminal cases, including murder and attempt-to-murder.

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) had the highest number of MLAs-elect with declared criminal cases, at 41, followed by 37 from the DMK and 33 from the AIADMK. Smaller parties, including the PMK, Congress, and left parties, also had multiple winners declaring cases. The sole BJP MLA-elect stated no criminal or serious criminal cases were pending against him.

One elected member declared a murder charge under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, while six others face attempt-to-murder charges under Section 307. Two winning candidates declared cases related to crimes against women. Serious criminal cases are defined as those carrying a potential punishment of five years or more, including non-bailable and cognisable offences, electoral violations, and crimes under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The ADR-TNEW report excluded TVK candidate T. Arunkumar due to an unclear affidavit on the Election Commission portal. The findings are expected to renew calls for greater scrutiny of candidates' criminal backgrounds amid preparations for the formation of the new state government.

The Tamil Nadu Election Watch and ADR said they would share their findings with the Election Commission and relevant authorities, urging stricter enforcement of transparency norms. The Assembly is expected to convene within the coming weeks to swear in the new legislators.