An analysis of MLAs who switched parties between 2016 to 2020 has found that the BJP gained the most, with nearly 45 per cent of them joined the saffron camp, according to a report by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Between 2016-2020, 182 of the 405 re-contesting MLAs who switched political parties joined BJP, followed by 38 who joined the Congress and 25 who joined the Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

The report also found that 170 MLAs left the Congress to join other parties during the period, while only 18 BJP legislators switched parties to contest the polls.

For the report, the National Election Watch and ADR analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 433 MPs and MLAs, who changed parties and re-contested elections held in the last five years.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, five Lok Sabha MPs left BJP to join other parties while seven Rajya Sabha MPs left the Congress to contest elections between 2016-2020, the report said.

"It is to be noted that the recent fall of governments in Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh and Karnataka State Assemblies were due to defections of their MLAs," the report said.

Moreover, 10 of the 16 re-contesting Rajya Sabha MPs who switched political parties during the same period joined BJP. Meanwhile, five of the 12 Lok Sabha MPs who changed parties joined Congress during the 2019 general polls.