Uttar Pradesh political party defections

Political shifts occurred between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh during October 2026.

On October 11, former BJP Member of Parliament Dharmendra Kashyap joined the Samajwadi Party after meeting with party president Akhilesh Yadav. Analysts noted this move was intended to strengthen the SP’s outreach among Other Backward Classes in the Bareilly and Rohilkhand regions ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.

By October 14, the movement reversed as three Samajwadi Party MLAs—Rakesh Pratap Singh of Gauriganj, Abhay Singh of Gosainganj, and Vinod Chaturvedi of Kalpi—joined the BJP in Amethi. The induction ceremony was attended by senior BJP figures, including former Union Minister Smriti Irani and state BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary. Rakesh Pratap Singh, a three-time MLA, noted his decision was driven by the demands of his constituents and had previously been expelled from the SP following disagreements over party activities and religious issues.

In response to these defections, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of electoral wrongdoing and alleged attempts to manipulate electoral rolls through the Election Commission of India. He further claimed the BJP is losing public support. Conversely, BJP leaders dismissed these allegations as attempts to create a “false narrative” to justify potential future election losses. Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar added that the transitions were driven by “unhappy SP leaders,” suggesting the Samajwadi Party is facing internal challenges and political pressure.