The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a respected election watchdog, published its detailed analysis on November 23, 2025, based entirely on the mandatory self-sworn affidavits submitted by candidates to the Election Commission during the October-November 2025 Bihar assembly polls. The report examines the criminal, financial, educational, and demographic background of all 24 ministers who took oath in the new Nitish Kumar-led NDA government, painting a picture that has triggered widespread concern across political and civil society circles.

Of the 24 ministers studied, 11 — a staggering 46 per cent — have openly declared pending criminal cases against their names in their election affidavits. More alarmingly, nine of these ministers face serious non-bailable charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act, including rioting armed with deadly weapons (Section 148), assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from duty (Section 353), cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property (Section 420), forgery of valuable security (Section 467), voluntarily causing grievous hurt (Section 325), and multiple electoral offences that attract imprisonment of five years or more.

The cloud of criminal cases hangs equally over every constituent of the ruling National Democratic Alliance, proving that the issue is coalition-wide rather than limited to one party. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the largest partner in the government, has six ministers with declared cases; Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) has two; both berths allocated to Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) carry criminal declarations; and the lone minister from Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) is also charged with serious offences. Crucially, none of the 11 ministers have been convicted by any court till date, thereby remaining constitutionally and legally qualified to hold ministerial office.

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In terms of financial muscle, the cabinet reflects extreme concentration of wealth: 21 out of 24 ministers (88 per cent) have declared assets worth more than ₹1 crore each, making the Bihar ministry one of the richest in the country. The average declared assets of the council of ministers stand at ₹5.32 crore — more than 100 times the state’s per-capita income of roughly ₹55,000 per annum. Immovable properties, prime agricultural land in fertile districts, commercial real estate, and substantial movable investments form the bulk of these declarations.

The simultaneous prevalence of serious criminal charges and massive personal wealth in the same set of individuals has once again brought the focus back on long-pending electoral and political reforms, including faster adjudication of cases against lawmakers, stricter disqualification norms for charged persons, and measures to reduce the influence of money power in Indian democracy.

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