276 candidates switched parties to contest 2022 assembly polls; 27% left BSP, 13% Cong: ADR report

Out of 276 candidates who switched parties during the 2022 assembly polls in five states, 27 per cent left the BSP and 13 per cent left the Congress for other political outfits, poll rights body ADR said on Tuesday. The National Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 276 candidates and 85 MLAs, who changed parties during 2017 to 2022 and contested the polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur this year.

According to the report, (75 candidates) 27 per cent left the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to join another party during the recent assembly elections, while (37 candidates) 13 per cent left the Congress.

In the 2022 polls, 54 (20 per cent) out of the 276 candidates joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) followed by 35 (13 per cent) candidates who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and 31 (11 per cent) candidates joined the BSP.

The highest number of MLAs — 27 (32 per cent) — left the BJP, while 24 (28 per cent) MLAs left the Congress to contest the recent polls.

The report added that 32 (38 per cent) out of 85 recontesting MLAs joined the BJP followed by 19 (22 per cent) MLAs who joined the SP and 9 (11 per cent) MLAs joined the Congress.