The BJP's poaching of leaders from other parties aligns with its expansionist agenda, particularly in regions where it has historically lacked influence.
One in four candidates fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections has defected from other political parties, with a majority of those coming from the Congress, analysis by ThePrint reveals.
The BJP has so far released nine lists and out of the 417 candidates named, 28 percent (116) have crossed over to the BJP. Most of these defectors made their move to the BJP after Prime Minister Narendra Modi captured the national stage in 2014. Of these defectors, 37 hailed from the Congress. Following the Congress, the maximum candidates are from BRS (9), BSP (8), TMC (7) and BJD (6). NCP (6), SP (6) and AIADMK (4).
The poaching of leaders from other parties aligns with the BJP”s expansionist agenda, particularly in regions where it has historically lacked influence. A substantial 85 percent of defectors joined the BJP post-2014. 64 defectors made their move in the election years 2014, 2019, and 2024.
Prominent figures among these defectors include Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh Yadav and Domariyaganj MP Jagdambika Pal from Uttar Pradesh, both of whom left the Congress to join the BJP in 2014. Union Minister Annapurna Devi and BJP Vice-President Baijayant Panda, who made significant political strides after leaving RJD and BJD, respectively, in 2019.
However, the BJP”s inclusion of defectors hasn”t been without internal repercussions. Some longstanding loyalists have been sidelined in favour of newcomers, such as Ashok Tanwar, Sita Soren, and Naveen Jindal, who joined the BJP in 2023 or 2024.
There have been protests in Gujarat”s Sabarkanta over the replacement of sitting MP Bhikhaji Thakor with the wife of a former Congress legislator who joined the BJP.
Despite this influx of new faces, there are veteran leaders like Maneka Gandhi, who joined the BJP prior to the Modi era, having transitioned from Janata Dal in 2004. Set to contest her 10th Lok Sabha election from Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, she has been a formidable force in electoral politics, winning seven out of the last nine polls since 1984.
Another name is Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who was with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) until 2011 before joining the BJP. His political trajectory saw a significant upturn as he assumed the role of Assam Chief Minister in 2016.
From the Congress fold, top leaders who switched allegiances include Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada, both once closely associated with the party high command. Scindia is set to contest from his traditional bastion of Guna, while Prasada has taken up the mantle at Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, replacing BJP leader as well as its vocal critic Varun Gandhi.
There are four constituencies where candidates from allied parties are running on BJP tickets. Praveen Kumar Nishad, son of NISHAD Party president Sanjay Nishad, is contesting on the BJP symbol in Uttar Pradesh”s Sant Kabir Nagar. Meanwhile, in Vellore, Perambalur, and Tenkasi, candidates from the New Justice Party, Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi, and Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, respectively, are contesting under the BJP banner. Although not defectors, they have been included in the BJP”s list.
In Bengaluru (Rural), CN Manjunath, the son-in-law of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, is running on the BJP ticket. The Janata Dal (Secular) has fielded three candidates under its own symbol as part of a seat-sharing agreement with the BJP in Karnataka.
Following its sweeping success in the Hindi heartland, the BJP has shifted its focus to the eastern and southern regions to bolster its presence. Anil Antony, son of former Defence Minister and Congress stalwart AK Antony, is fighting for the BJP from Kerala”s Pathanamthitta.
In Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Odisha, 31 candidates are “outsiders,” predominantly from regional parties. Similarly, in Andhra Pradesh, five out of six candidates, including CM Ramesh from its ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP), hail from outside the BJP ranks.
While it”s speculated that these candidates align with the BJP”s ambition of securing 370 seats, even in states where it currently holds power in the Hindi heartland, the party has leaned heavily on candidates from other parties. For instance, 20 of the 64 candidates announced in Uttar Pradesh have come from regional parties.
However, there has been a decline in the prevalence of such candidates over the years in Uttar Pradesh. While seven of the 20 candidates joined ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, six joined ahead of the 2019 polls, and only four between 2020 and 2024. This trend reflects the BJP”s increasing grip within the state.
In Haryana, six out of 10 candidates are defectors who switched from Congress to join the BJP. Similarly, in Maharashtra, seven out of 24 declared candidates are defectors, and in Jharkhand, six out of 14 candidates are “outsiders”.
