Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar has publicly claimed that the Samajwadi Party (SP) is on the verge of a major split, with many of its members poised to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Rajbhar, who serves in the Yogi Adityanath government and leads the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, made these assertions as political activities intensify in the state ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Rajbhar specifically alleged that senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav had submitted a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He further linked the supposed anxiety within the SP to ongoing investigations into alleged corruption, citing the mining scam and the Gomti River Front scam, stating that the "entire Uttar Pradesh knows who the mastermind is."
These claims, however, were made without Rajbhar presenting any concrete evidence or naming specific potential defectors. The allegations emerge amidst a backdrop of heightened political maneuvering, as both the ruling alliance and the opposition in Uttar Pradesh begin to strategize for the upcoming state polls.
The Samajwadi Party, under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav, currently holds 37 seats in the Lok Sabha, positioning it as the third-largest party nationally. In the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the party maintains 101 members, a reduction from the 111 seats it secured in the 2022 state election due to subsequent resignations, expulsions, and changes in party affiliation.
Rajbhar's remarks also come as the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Maharashtra faces similar speculation regarding defections. While Rajbhar has sought to extend this narrative of opposition splits to Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party has not yet shown signs of a comparable internal rebellion.