Low Success Rate for Party Switchers in Lok Sabha Elections
Arjun Singh Switched Party Few Times and lost 
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, less than a third of the 82 candidates who switched parties and contested as BJP or Congress nominees emerged victorious across various states.
Decline in BJP’s Turncoat Success
The success rate of defectors fielded by the BJP saw a significant drop compared to the 2014 and 2019 elections. Out of 52 candidates who switched to the BJP from other parties, 35 were defeated. Research from Ashoka University’s Trivedi Centre for Political Data shows that the success rate for these BJP turncoats fell from 66.7% in 2014 and 56.5% in 2019 to just 32.7% in the current polls.
Congress Turncoats’ Performance
The Congress, which fielded 30 turncoat candidates, saw 20 of them losing their contests. However, the success rate of Congress turncoats rose to 33.3%, a significant improvement from their 5% success rate in the 2014 and 2019 elections.
High-Profile Losses and Wins
Notable losses for the BJP included Neeraj Shekhar in Uttar Pradesh, Kripashankar Singh in Jaunpur, and Ritesh Pandey in Ambedkar Nagar. In contrast, Jitin Prasada, a former Congress leader who switched to the BJP, won convincingly in Pilibhit. Kerala saw Anil Antony and C Raghunath, both Congress defectors to the BJP, finishing third in their respective constituencies.
Mixed Results in Bengal and Jharkhand
In West Bengal, only one of the five defectors from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP, Soumendu Adhikari, won his seat. In Jharkhand, BJP turncoats Sita Soren and Geeta Kora were both defeated. Sita Soren’s switch amid internal conflicts within the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and her defeat in Dumka was particularly notable.
Haryana and Delhi Outcomes
Haryana presented mixed results for BJP turncoats. Naveen Jindal, a former Congress member, won in Kurukshetra, while Ranjit Chautala and Ashok Tanwar faced defeat. In Delhi, Congress candidate Kanhaiya Kumar, a former CPI member, lost to the BJP’s Manoj Tiwari by a substantial margin.
Punjab Turncoat Challenge
In Punjab, where 20 turncoats were in the fray, the BJP suffered significant losses. High-profile defeats included former Punjab CM Beant Singh’s grandson, Ravneet Singh Bittu, and Preneet Kaur, wife of ex-CM Captain Amarinder Singh.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Trends
In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, a total of 33 turncoats contested. In Telangana, 11 of the 20 defectors who joined the BJP faced mixed results, with five losing their races. The Chevella constituency saw turncoats from all three major parties competing, with the BJP’s Konda Vishweshwar Reddy emerging victorious. In Andhra Pradesh, BJP’s C M Ramesh won his seat in Anakapalli, while Kothapalli Geeta lost in Araku.
Notable Results in Rajasthan
In Rajasthan, Congress defector Mahendrajeet Singh Malaviya, who joined the BJP, lost to a candidate from the Bharatiya Adivasi Party in Banswara. Meanwhile, Jyoti Mirdha, another Congress turncoat contesting on a BJP ticket, was defeated by RLP chief Hanuman Beniwal in Nagaur. However, Rahul Kaswan, a former BJP MP who switched to the Congress, won the Churu seat for his new party.
In summary, the recent elections highlighted the challenges and mixed fortunes faced by turncoat candidates across various states, with significant high-profile wins and losses for both the BJP and Congress.