111 lawmakers switched parties since 2022: Report
What's the story
Between 2022 and 2026, a total of 111 sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) changed their political affiliations. The data was revealed in a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The report analyzed elections and by-elections during this period, including 26 Lok Sabha MPs, seven Rajya Sabha MPs, and 78 MLAs.
Party dynamics
BJP, NPF top recipients of defections
Of the 111 lawmakers who switched parties, 29 (26%) joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This made BJP the second-largest recipient of such defections.
The Naga People's Front (NPF) was the biggest gainer with 32 lawmakers, or 29% of total switchers. However, this was mainly due to a merger in Nagaland in October 2025 rather than individual defections.
Nationwide trend
Highest defections in Nagaland
The report, which was published on September 24, noted that these party switches were spread across 17 states and Union Territories.
The highest number of switches were in Nagaland (32), followed by West Bengal (20), Telangana (nine), and Goa and Punjab (eight each).
Notably, the ADR's list may not be exhaustive due to "lack of systematically maintained and readily accessible official [Election Commission of India] data."
New members
Rajya Sabha MPs from AAP who joined BJP
Among the 29 lawmakers who joined the BJP, seven were Rajya Sabha MPs elected from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The seven are Swati Maliwal, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Kumar Pathak, Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Rajinder Gupta.
The list also includes eight Congress MLAs from Goa and four from Gujarat who resigned to join BJP before contesting by-elections.
Merger impact
NPF's major gain due to merger
The NPF's major gain was due to a merger of lawmakers elected on Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) tickets.
The NDPP MLAs joined the NPF in October 2025, with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio leading the move.
Rio said this was done to form "one strong regional party" to better represent Naga aspirations and address long-standing political issues.
Legal reform
ADR calls for amendments to anti-defection laws
The ADR has called for amendments to India's anti-defection laws in light of these findings.
It has proposed that disqualification decisions should be made by the President or governors on the Election Commission's advice instead of House presiding officers.
The organization advocates for "the politics of conviction, courage and consensus," urging parties and legislators to move beyond "the politics of convenience and self-gain."