As per figures released by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), 170 MLAs left the Congress as against 18 who left the BJP, between 2016 and 2020. Five MLAs from the CPM and one from the CPI also defected according to the report.
The analysis shows that the BJP was the party that gained most from the switch from one party to another while the Congress was the biggest loser.
ADR's report released on Thursday also showed that a total of 433 MPs and MLAs left their party to join another. Most the of defections happened in the run-up to assembly elections, and were mostly those were denied seats.
Of the 405 MLAs Congress accounts for 42 per cent, and the BJP four per cent. The report also specifically cites that the BJP gained the most from desertion of the Congress.
From other parties 182 MLAs (44.9 percent) joined the BJP, as against 38 (9.4 percent) who joined the Congress. Another beneficiary of defection was the Telengana Rashtra Samithi with 25 MLAs (6.2 percent).
Prior to the 2019 parliamentary election five members of the Lok Sabha quit the BJP and joined other parties. Seven Rajya Sabha members left the Congress to join rival parties.
The report also cites that out of the total 12 Lok Sabha members who shifted loyalth, five joined the Congress.
ADR report analytically points out that the combination of money and muscle and absence of effective laws on the function of parties led to most of the change of parties. Lack of honest leaders also is cited as a key factor.
"Until and unless these trends are not reined in, our current electoral and political situation is bound to deteriorate further... It will be a mockery of democracy if we fail to plug these loopholes because of which such defections, changing/switching of party by MPs and MLAs are happening. It is high time that our political parties and politicians put an end to the 'politics of convenience and selfgain and start practicing 'politics of conviction, courage and consensus'," the report said.
The report also mentions that the assets of recontesting MLAs and MPs went up by 39%.