ADR Report Finds 111 Indian Lawmakers Switched Parties

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch reported that 111 members of Parliament and state legislatures changed their political party allegiances between 2022 and 2026. The analysis identifies 26 Lok Sabha members, seven Rajya Sabha members, and 78 state legislators who switched sides across 17 states and union territories, a trend the report notes contributed to the collapse of several state governments.

Nagaland recorded the highest number of realignments with 32 switches, followed by West Bengal and Telangana. The Naga People's Front received the most new lawmakers, including 28 members who joined via a merger with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party. The Bharatiya Janata Party gained 29 legislators through individual switches, while the Nationalist Citizens Party of India received 20 members, including a group of Lok Sabha MPs currently under review by Speaker Om Birla.

The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, All India Trinamool Congress, and Congress experienced the most exits, accounting for 58 percent of all switches. ADR characterized these shifts as a failure of ethical propriety driven by a "hunger for power and money."

To curb these defections, ADR is calling for amendments to the anti-defection law. The organization proposes transferring disqualification authority from presiding officers to the President and Governors, acting on the advice of the Election Commission of India to ensure time-bound procedures. ADR further recommends barring turncoats from holding public office until they are re-elected.