Elections 2024: 42% former MNAs shift party allegiances

ISLAMABAD: A significant transformation is underway in Pakistan’s political arena as 42 per cent of former members of the National Assembly (MNAs) who are vying for seats in the upcoming 2024 elections have switched their allegiances, HUM News investigation team has unveiled in a survey.

Out of the 342 members of the 2018 National Assembly, 143 have either entirely shifted their political allegiance or opted to run as independent candidates. This shift, affecting 79 million voters, is notably diverse across provinces, with 10 individuals from Punjab, 25 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 16 from Sindh, and nine from Balochistan making the change.

WHERE ARE PTI DEFECTORS NOW?

Party-wise distribution shows that from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) a significant departure of 107 former MNAs, constituting 65 per cent of their total strength, has left the party.

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The investigation further uncovers that out of these, 27 reserved-seat members opted out while 21 former assembly members are not participating in the 2024 elections altogether.

Furthermore, 18 former PTI members have joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), 13 have aligned with the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), and 11 have joined the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP).

Seven former MNAs have joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians, three have aligned with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F), two with Awami National Party (ANP), and two with Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P). Thirty former PTI members, who initially announced their departure are now contesting the elections as independent candidates.

Apart from these, five members from MQM-P and three former representatives of JUI-F have also chosen new political paths.

SIMILAR TRENDS FROM 2018

This is not the first time such shifts in party lines have been witnessed. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has experienced shifts as well, with 61 MNAs who won in 2013 leaving the party before the 2018 elections.

Further analysis indicates that 54 per cent of former MNAs from PML-N either left the party, contested as independent candidates, or refrained from participating in the elections altogether. Moreover, 12 former MNAs of MQM and 10 from PTI changed parties prior to the 2018 elections.

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The remaining 22 members who changed party lines were affiliated with various parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), National People’s Party (NPP), JUI-F, All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).

2018 PROVINCIAL BREAKDOWN OF CHANGING ALLIANCES

Breaking down the regional impact, the survey notes that 48 per cent (55 out of 115) of the MNAs who switched parties before the 2018 elections belonged to Punjab. Sindh accounted for 25 per cent (28 out of 115), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 11 per cent (13 out of 115), AND Balochistan at 80 per cent (12 out of 15).