Samajwadi Party faces split rumors as OP Rajbhar alleges defections to BJP

Uttar Pradesh minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar claimed that the Samajwadi Party (SP) is on the brink of a major split. He asserted that senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav had handed a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah listing SP MPs ready to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Rajbhar also warned that a rebel faction of dissident MPs would be led by a “red” from Ballia and warned of a political “earthquake” linked to past mining and Gomti River Front scams.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav rejected the allegations as unfounded rumors, calling them “wild hearsay” and accusing the BJP of engineering defections. He quoted his own line: “Dana aur gana kab tak chalega yeh afsana” (how long will their ‘benefits and songs’ continue). Yadav said the party remains strong and urged the BJP to focus on its own performance rather than sowing division in opposition ranks.

The exchange comes amid broader speculation about internal unrest in other regional parties ahead of Uttar Pradesh’s 2027 assembly elections, but no official confirmation of the alleged letter or split has emerged.