Three Rebel SP Legislators Join BJP Ahead of UP Polls

The induction ceremony, led by BJP Uttar Pradesh President Pankaj Chaudhary, highlighted the political experience of the three defectors. Rakesh Pratap Singh, a three-time MLA from Gauriganj, joins alongside Gosaiganj representative Abhay Singh and Kalpi legislator Vinod Chaturvedi. Chaudhary noted that these leaders bring substantial grassroots support, further claiming that many within the SP feel stifled by the party's current focus on caste-based politics and appeasement.

This realignment follows a period of mounting friction between the SP leadership and these MLAs, who were expelled in June 2025 for opposing the party’s internal ideology. The tensions became public during the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections when Rakesh Pratap Singh cast his vote in favor of the BJP. Alongside these defections, National General Secretary Smriti Irani seized the opportunity to criticize the Congress, noting the party’s failure to secure a state assembly victory since 1989. These shifts signal an intensified campaign period as the BJP works to solidify its influence in districts historically contested by the SP and Congress.