The upcoming 2024 Assembly elections have seen a significant number of turncoat candidates fielded by major political parties, including the BJP, Congress, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and National Conference (NC). A total of at least 47 candidates, who recently switched parties after the 2014 Assembly elections, are running in the election, reflecting a widespread pattern of political realignment.
Among these, Congress has the highest proportion of turncoats, with 28% of its candidates being political defectors. The party has particularly drawn new members from smaller regional parties, with notable examples being Tariq Hameed Karra, who joined from PDP, and other figures from Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP). Congress also attracted defectors from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), such as Yashpal Kundal and Taranjit Singh Tony.
The BJP has similarly fielded several high-profile defectors, with 13 out of its 62 candidates being turncoats. Most of these are from the Jammu region, including figures like Devinder Singh Rana and Surjeet Singh Slathia, who defected from the National Conference, as well as former Congressmen like Sham Lal Sharma. BJP faced internal rebellion after awarding tickets to turncoats, especially in constituencies where loyal members were passed over.
The PDP, which saw a mass exodus after the collapse of the BJP-PDP government in 2018, has fielded at least 15 turncoats in this election. Several candidates, such as Fayaz Ahmad Mir and Basharat Bukhari, returned to the PDP shortly before the elections, after leaving for other parties in previous years. The party has also seen numerous new entrants since the election dates were announced, such as Manzoor Ahmed Wani and Haroon Rashid Khatana.
The NC has also tapped into turncoats, though in smaller numbers, with at least nine out of its 55 candidates having switched parties. Many of these candidates were formerly associated with PDP, including Mohammad Khalil Band and Mehboob Iqbal. The NC has relied on these turncoats in critical constituencies such as Bhaderwah and Sopore, where it is in a friendly competition with its ally, Congress.
Overall, the high number of defections and turncoats across party lines reflects shifting political allegiances and internal competition as the 2024 elections approach.
