Party Defections and Political Development in India

• In Event: Challenges in Developing Party Systems

Abstract

Strong parties are a vital element of political and economic development. One key measure of party strength is the loyalty of its members, but political defections and party switching are commonplace across the developing world. We study party defections in India, where politicians often switch parties several times during their careers. Such defections can topple incumbent governments, as has been the case in the states of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. Using comprehensive data on state-level Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) across three decades, we address three questions. First, how has party switching evolved over time? Second, do these trends vary across parties? And third, what impact do cross-party defections have on parties’ long-term electoral performance. We find that party defections have become rarer over time, that there are significant differences in loyalty across parties, and find little evidence that defections harm the electoral fortunes of parties. We explore several possible mechanisms that explain this outcome. Our work contributes to study of political development and party development in South Asia and beyond.

Author

• Thibaud Marcesse, Boston College