NEW DELHI, SEPT 26 — A total of 111 sitting Members of Parliament and state legislators changed their political affiliations after being elected between 2022 and 2026, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch.
The comprehensive analysis confirmed that the turncoats comprise 26 Lok Sabha members, seven Rajya Sabha members, and 78 state assembly representatives. State-level breakdowns show Nagaland logging the highest number of switches with 32 lawmakers, followed closely by West Bengal with 20 representatives changing sides.
At the organizational level, three major political entities witnessed the highest exits. The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party lost 25 members, the All India Trinamool Congress recorded 20 exits, and the Indian National Congress accounted for 19 switches, collectively representing 58 per cent of all realignments.
Conversely, the Naga People’s Front emerged as the primary beneficiary, receiving 32 lawmakers, while the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Nationalist Citizens Party of India gained 29 and 20 members respectively. Together, these three receiving parties absorbed 73 per cent of all switching legislators.
Democratic watchdogs noted that mid-term defections continue to impact institutional stability across several state assemblies, recommending stricter anti-defection reforms and binding decision timelines.
