The report is based on the election affidavits of lawmakers and data published by Election Commission, the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, and state assemblies.

Elected representatives abandoning parties under whose banners they won elections and secured seats in the Parliament or a Legislative Assembly, often doing so before their terms have even expired is quite common in Indian politics. And now data is available for such phenomena.

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch have released data which reveals 111 such MPs and MLAs switched parties between 2022 and 2026.

The report analyzes the party-switching trends among elected representatives in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and various state legislative assemblies. Nagaland tops the list of such defections, with West Bengal ranking second.

The report is primarily based on the election affidavits of the lawmakers and data published by the Election Commission, the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, and state assemblies. Meanwhile, the Left and Congress parties argue that politicians devoid of ideological principles are sacrificing democracy for the sake of power and money, while the ruling party—driven by an obsession with perpetual power—facilitates the defections.

Who switched, and where did they go?

According to ADR's figures, the group of 111 includes 26 Lok Sabha MPs, seven Rajya Sabha MPs, and 78 MLAs. The defections represent 2 per cent of the country's total 4,876 MPs and MLAs. Specifically, 26 out of 543 Lok Sabha MPs, seven out of 233 Rajya Sabha MPs, and 78 out of 4,100 MLAs changed parties.

West Bengal stands out in the state-wise statistics, with 20 MPs from the state having switched parties. The figure represents 18 per cent of the total elected representatives who have switched parties. Bengal ranks second only to Nagaland on the list. Nagaland recorded 32 such defections. Following Nagaland, West Bengal saw 20 defections, Telangana nine, and Goa and Punjab eight each.

The 20 individuals from West Bengal are all Lok Sabha MPs. On June 14, 2026, 20 Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The list includes Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Satabdi Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Mala Roy, Mitali Bag, Yusuf Pathan, Arup Chakraborty, Sharmila Sarkar, Partha Bhowmick, Asit Kumar Mal, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, Dev, Rachna Banerjee, Prasun Banerjee, Saayoni Ghosh, Khalilur Rahman, Kalipada Soren, Bapi Haldar, June Malia, and Abu Taher Khan.

Where did the leaders go?

An analysis of the data by ADR reveals that the NDPP tops the list in terms of the number of leaders leaving the party; 25 of their elected representatives switched parties. Next is the Trinamool (AITC), with 20 leaders leaving.

Nineteen representatives left the Congress (INC). Additionally, nine leaders left the BRS, seven each left the AAP and NCP, and six left the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). In total, 64 leaders switched parties across the three parties—NDPP, AITC, and INC—accounting for 58 per cent of the total number of defections.

It is also important to track which parties attracted the highest number of representatives. The NPF absorbed 32 leaders, the BJP 29, and the NCP 20. The report notes that the three parties together inducted 73 per cent of all the representatives who switched parties.

Not all party-switching is the same

Party-switching involves various processes, not just a single type of defection. ADR categorized the 111 incidents into four groups- direct defection; formal merger or integration with another political party; resigning, joining a new party, and winning a by-election; and joining a new party and winning a by-election after being disqualified under the anti-defection law. Consequently, ADR did not treat every incident on the list as the same type of defection.

For instance, consider the four MLAs in Gujarat who resigned, joined the BJP, and then contested by-elections. In Himachal Pradesh, two MLAs joined the BJP and won by-elections after being disqualified under the anti-defection law. Meanwhile, in Nagaland, a large number of MLAs switched parties simultaneously due to the merger of the NPP with the NPF.

Why the shift in political winds?

The ADR has raised questions regarding the trend of party-switching, citing factors such as the lack of value-based politics, the allure of money and power, the prospect of securing office, the internal structures of political parties, and the inefficacy of anti-defection laws. Additionally, the report highlights the authority vested in the Speaker or Chairman to adjudicate defection complaints and the protracted nature of the legal process as significant issues.

What do the leaders say?

Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya states, "This is extremely dangerous for democracy. If such incidents continue, the people of the country will lose faith and trust in their elected representatives. My appeal to the public is to verify, before casting their vote, which candidate is unlikely to become a 'turncoat' (or 'Aaya Ram Gaya Ram'). Vote only for such a candidate." Pradip believes that without such awareness, democracy faces a peril from which there will be no escape.

He remarks, "The game of money and the ambition to rule lie behind these party-switching maneuvers; a combination of the two drives the constant poaching of party members. Everyone assumes that retaining power at any cost is essential, and that money is required to stay in power. Money makes it easy to purchase whatever is needed".

He says, "This practice of buying and selling has infiltrated our democracy, and the ruling establishment is taking this unscrupulous trend to its extreme. Yet, the consequences will be dire; this tendency to 'buy' one's way will eventually boomerang and spell disaster for the nation." Reiterating his call for voter awareness, the veteran Congress leader adds, "Voters must always remember that they are the guardians of democracy. They must never waver from this role."

CPM leader Ramchandra Dome stated, "This is detrimental to democracy; there can be no two opinions about it. The ruling party is currently playing a game to retain money and power. The lure of power has become a crucial factor. The objective now is to secure or strengthen the government's majority at any cost, and in doing so, many have no qualms about abandoning democratic norms".

He said, "This brand of opportunistic and unprincipled politics is dangerous. The BJP, currently in power at the Centre, is at the forefront of this trend. Such incidents were rarely seen in our state in the past, but the Trinamool introduced this culture during its tenure. These defectors pose a grave threat to parliamentary democracy, and because of them, public faith in democracy is eroding."