📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / GeoEvan (www.polgeonow.com)
Politics
111 Elected MPs and MLAs Switch Parties Post‑Election, Nagaland Leads Defections – Poll Watchdog
✍️ India Today
🗓 25 Sep 2026, 07:32 PM
👁 12
A poll watchdog reports that 111 newly‑elected MPs and MLAs have changed party affiliation after winning, with Nagaland recording the highest number of such switches.
The Election Commission’s monitoring agency has disclosed that a total of 111 members of Parliament and state legislative assemblies altered their party allegiance after securing electoral victories. The data, compiled from post‑poll filings, shows a noticeable trend of elected representatives switching sides once the results were declared.
Among all states, Nagaland tops the list, registering the largest share of defections. While the exact count for the state was not released, its position at the forefront underscores a growing fluidity in regional political alignments.
The surge in party switching raises questions about the effectiveness of India’s anti‑defection law, which seeks to curb opportunistic moves that could destabilise governments. Analysts note that such shifts, even after a mandate, may influence coalition dynamics and future legislative agendas.
Election officials have called for stricter compliance with filing deadlines and transparency in reporting party changes. The watchdog’s findings will be presented to the parliamentary committee overseeing electoral reforms for further action.
Among all states, Nagaland tops the list, registering the largest share of defections. While the exact count for the state was not released, its position at the forefront underscores a growing fluidity in regional political alignments.
The surge in party switching raises questions about the effectiveness of India’s anti‑defection law, which seeks to curb opportunistic moves that could destabilise governments. Analysts note that such shifts, even after a mandate, may influence coalition dynamics and future legislative agendas.
Election officials have called for stricter compliance with filing deadlines and transparency in reporting party changes. The watchdog’s findings will be presented to the parliamentary committee overseeing electoral reforms for further action.