Three Samajwadi Party MLAs join BJP in Uttar Pradesh

Three rebel legislators from the Samajwadi Party (SP) have officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The defecting MLAs include Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj), Abhay Singh (Gosainganj), and Vinod Chaturvedi (Kalpi).

The induction ceremony was held in Gauriganj and attended by senior BJP leaders, including former Union Minister Smriti Irani and Uttar Pradesh BJP President Pankaj Chaudhary. Rakesh Pratap Singh, a three-time MLA, had previously been expelled from the SP following disagreements over party activities and religious issues.

In response to the political shifts, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of electoral wrongdoing and alleged that the party is losing public support. He also raised concerns regarding the Election Commission of India, claiming attempts to manipulate electoral rolls. Meanwhile, BJP leaders have dismissed these claims as attempts to create a false narrative to justify potential future election losses.