It is a common spectacle in India to see politicians defect from a party, re-contest from another party and become MLAs again. The rebellion in the Shiv Sena has once again put the spotlight on the politics of defections. Data show that in the last decade, the BJP fielded more than 830 turncoats in the Assembly polls, the highest number by any party. A turncoat is an MLA candidate who participated in the previous election as a candidate of another recognised State/national party. More than 44% of the turncoats fielded by the BJP have won — a relatively high success rate.
Number of turncoats
The chart shows the number of turncoats fielded in the Assembly polls in the last decade and the % of those who won. For instance, the BJP fielded 833 turncoats in the Assembly polls in the last decade, of which 44% won the elections.
