Akhilesh trashes Rajbhar’s claim of split in Samajwadi Party, says it remains strong

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has strongly dismissed UP Minister OP Rajbhar's claims of an imminent party split, stating the SP remains completely unified while alleging that several BJP MLAs in Uttar Pradesh are preparing to switch sides

Lucknow:Dismissing Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar’s claim of an impending split in the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said the party remained strong and it was the BJP which had a history of “engineering” defections through inducements and pressure.

Responding to a query at a presser on possible discontent within the Samajwadi Party (SP), Yadav, its chief, said the BJP previously succeeded in breaking several parties, including taking away legislators and leaders from the SP.

---

“If you look at Uttar Pradesh, several SP MLAs, MLCs and even Rajya Sabha members were taken away. There must have been some self-interest, some lure or some fear… People who get scared leave their party,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Rajbhar claimed that a major split was likely in the SP and that several party leaders were ready to join the BJP.

In a post on X, Rajbhar claimed that senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav had submitted a letter to Amit Shah, though he did not provide details of the purported communication.

He also claimed that pressure of investigations into past “scams” had left the SP worried and that several of its leaders were prepared to switch sides to the BJP.

Yadav, though, brushed aside Rajbhar’s claims.

“The SP remains united. It weathered many ups and downs in its journey. It is a strong party, and it remains so,” he said.

Underlining that political workers willing to confront the BJP needed courage and conviction, Yadav said, “If the BJP has to be challenged, there should be a team of brave people.”

Recalling an earlier interaction with the media, the former chief minister said that he had already declared that he would not attempt to engineer defections from the BJP.

“I had said earlier that I will not break the BJP. But while the BJP is breaking other parties and poaching MPs, it is their own legislators in Uttar Pradesh who are preparing to switch sides.

“There are many such people who reveal their cards only at the appropriate time. They cannot be relied upon,” he said.