Since 2014, at least 25 prominent politicians from opposition parties, who were under investigation for corruption cases by Central agencies, have switched allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to an Indian Express report, out of these, 23 leaders have seen relief in their cases from investigating agencies.
The politicians who shifted to the BJP include individuals from various parties such as the Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress, TDP, Samajwadi Party, and YSRCP.
According to the report, three cases against these leaders have been closed, while 20 others remain inactive.
Notably, six of these politicians switched to the BJP in 2024, just ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections. This trend follows a pattern observed in a 2022 report by the Indian Express, which noted that a significant majority of politicians targeted by Central investigation agencies after 2014 belonged to the Opposition.
The timing of this report is significant, coinciding with Opposition accusations of misuse of investigative agencies by the Narendra Modi-led government.
Opposition voices have likened the BJP to a “washing machine,” alleging that politicians accused of corruption find respite after joining the BJP, a claim vehemently denied by the government.
These developments come amidst growing concerns regarding the alleged misuse of central agencies by the ruling government, prompting the Election Commission to reportedly consider issuing advisories regarding this matter ahead of the polls.
According to the report, cases against prominent politicians, such as Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel, were closed after their affiliation with the BJP-led NDA.
Some of the prominent names on the list of politicians who switched to the BJP from opposition parties include:
Ajit Pawar: Joined BJP-led NDA from NCP in 2023
Praful Patel: Joined BJP-led NDA from NCP in 2023
Himanta Biswa Sarma: Joined the BJP from Congress in 2015
Sanjay Seth: Joined BJP from SP in 2019
Suvendu Adhikari: Joined BJP from TMC in 2020
Chhagan Bhujbal: Joined BJP-led NDA from NCP in 2023
Ashok Chavan: Joined BJP from Congress in 2024
Naveen Jindal: Joined BJP from Congress in 2024
Geeta Koda: Joined BJP from Congress in 2024
Baba Siddiqui: Joined BJP-led NDA from Congress in 2024