126 Tamil Nadu MLAs-elect Have Pending Criminal Cases; TVK Leads with 41

A report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Tamil Nadu Election Watch (TNEW) on May 9, 2026, reveals that 126 candidates elected in the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections have pending criminal cases. The analysis of self-sworn affidavits from 233 winning candidates indicates that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has the highest number of such legislators, with 41 MLAs-elect declaring pending cases. Among these, 19 TVK members face serious criminal charges. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) follow with 37 and 33 MLAs-elect respectively having pending cases, including 14 serious cases each. Serious offenses include murder, attempt to murder, and crimes against women. Notably, the sole Bharatiya Janata Party (BJA) MLA-elect reported no criminal cases. This data highlights significant concerns regarding criminalization in politics within the state, as new government formation proceedings continue in Chennai.