111 MPs, MLAs Changed Parties After Winning Elections Since 2022: ADR
ADR said defections, mergers and bypoll wins drove the changes, with Nagaland accounting for 32 of the 111 lawmakers who switched parties.
- On September 24, 2026, the Association for Democratic Reforms released a report identifying 111 sitting MPs and MLAs who changed political parties after winning elections between 2022 and 2026.
- Political realignments drove these defections, notably the October 2025 merger between the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and the Naga People's Front , while defections have been linked to the fall of some state governments.
- Analysis shows 78 MLAs, 26 Lok Sabha MPs, and seven Rajya Sabha MPs changed sides, with the NDPP, All India Trinamool Congress , and Congress accounting for 58% of total departures.
- To address these trends, the ADR proposed amending the Tenth Schedule, recommending the Election Commission advise the President or Governors on disqualification petitions instead of presiding officers.
- The watchdog also suggests barring defectors from public office until re-election and bringing political parties under the Right to Information Act, though cautioning the list may not be exhaustive due to limited official data.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The Economic Times
111 MPs, MLAs changed parties after winning elections since 2022: ADR
A total of 111 MPs and MLAs changed parties in India between 2022 and 2026. Nagaland and West Bengal recorded the highest instances of such defections, with Nagaland having 32 cases. Most of the changes were linked to realignments among political parties like the NDPP and NPF. The Association for Democratic Reforms suggested reforms to the anti-defection laws in light of these changes.
111 Lawmakers Switched Parties Since 2022, ADR Finds; Nagaland Leads In Defections
<p><strong>MP MLA Defections:</strong> As many as 111 sitting MPs and MLAs changed political parties after being elected to Parliament or state assemblies between 2022 and 2026, according to a new analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The figure includes 26 Lok Sabha MPs, seven Rajya Sabha MPs and 78 MLAs.</p> <p>The ADR analysis, released on September 24, examined sitting lawmakers who changed parties after winning elections…
111 sitting MPs and MLAs changed their political parties after being elected: ADR
The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), Trinamool and Congress together accounted for 64 (58%) of the 111 MPs/MLAs who changed parties; the Naga People’s Front (NPF) led the list of parties that received the maximum number of lawmakers, with 32 (29%), followed by the BJP with 29 (26%) and the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) with 20 (18%)
ADR Report: 111 MPs, MLAs Switched Parties After Winning Elections
At least 111 sitting MPs and MLAs changed their political affiliations after winning elections between 2022 and 2026, according to a new analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch. The report examined elected representatives from the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and state assemblies who switched political parties after securing electoral […]
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