📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Government of Odisha
Politics
NPF Leads Party Switches, BJP Second as 111 Indian Legislators Defect Since 2022
✍️ timesofindia.indiatimes.com
🗓 28 Sep 2026, 02:47 AM
👁 9
Data compiled by ADR shows that the National People's Front topped the list of parties gaining legislators, with the BJP in second place, as 111 MPs and MLAs changed allegiance since 2022.
A recent analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) reveals a significant wave of party switching among Indian legislators. Since the beginning of 2022, a total of 111 members of Parliament and state assemblies have shifted their political affiliations.
The National People's Front (NPF) emerged as the biggest beneficiary, attracting the highest number of defectors. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) follows in second place, indicating its continued appeal across different regions.
These movements reflect broader trends of realignment ahead of upcoming elections, as politicians seek platforms that better match their electoral prospects or ideological leanings. The data underscores the fluid nature of party loyalties in India's multi‑party democracy.
Political analysts note that while party switching can alter legislative dynamics, it also raises questions about voter trust and the stability of party systems. The ADR report does not attribute the switches to any single cause, leaving room for further investigation.
The findings arrive as parties gear up for state and national polls, where the allegiance of these legislators could influence coalition formations and policy directions.
The National People's Front (NPF) emerged as the biggest beneficiary, attracting the highest number of defectors. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) follows in second place, indicating its continued appeal across different regions.
These movements reflect broader trends of realignment ahead of upcoming elections, as politicians seek platforms that better match their electoral prospects or ideological leanings. The data underscores the fluid nature of party loyalties in India's multi‑party democracy.
Political analysts note that while party switching can alter legislative dynamics, it also raises questions about voter trust and the stability of party systems. The ADR report does not attribute the switches to any single cause, leaving room for further investigation.
The findings arrive as parties gear up for state and national polls, where the allegiance of these legislators could influence coalition formations and policy directions.