At least 111 sitting MPs and MLAs changed political parties after being elected between 2022 and 2026, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) released on September 24. The figure includes 26 Lok Sabha MPs, seven Rajya Sabha MPs and 78 MLAs.

Nagaland recorded the highest number of switches at 32, followed by West Bengal with 20 and Telangana with nine. ADR noted that Nagaland's numbers mostly reflect a merger between the NDPP and the Naga People's Front in October 2025.

On the receiving side, the Naga People's Front gained 32 lawmakers, the BJP 29 and the Nationalist Citizens Party of India 20. Together, these three parties absorbed 73 per cent of all switching legislators.

ADR classifies the moves into four types: individual defections, party mergers, resignations followed by by-elections, and disqualifications under the anti-defection law (the Tenth Schedule, which bans elected lawmakers from switching parties).

The watchdog urged reforms, including fixed timelines for disqualification decisions and shifting the deciding power from presiding officers to the President or governors acting on Election Commission advice. The findings matter because post-election party switches can alter coalition math and weaken the link between voters and the mandate they cast.