Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders on Thursday, 18 June sharply rebuked Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar after both claimed the Akhilesh Yadav-led party was on the verge of a split. SP dismissed the assertions as politically motivated fabrications designed to unsettle its ranks ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

What Maurya and Rajbhar Claimed

At a press conference on Wednesday, Maurya stated: '25-26 MPs of Samajwadi Party are ready to break away, but we are not breaking them. We know that they will themselves break away...' Rajbhar separately claimed that a split within SP was inevitable and would be led by the 'son of UP's land of rebels' — a remark widely interpreted as a reference to SP MP Sanatan Pandey. Pandey, however, denied the claims outright when approached for comment.

SP's Counterattack

SP national General Secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav was unsparing in his response. 'Keshav Prasad Maurya is not even in a position to ensure his own victory. The Samajwadi Party has defeated him in several elections. Therefore, when he makes such statements, it only reflects that these are the people who spread lies,' he said.

SP MP Neeraj Kushwaha Maurya took aim at Rajbhar, alleging he was anxious about his own political standing. 'In the coming time, he may face a major defeat in the constituency where he is currently an MLA. That is why he is making such baseless statements. Actually, these people are concerned about their future,' he said.

The Strategic Calculation Behind the Numbers

SP spokesperson Ashutosh Verma argued the remarks were part of a deliberate Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strategy to erode SP's PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) coalition. 'The BJP has positioned leaders from the PDA community to counter the PDA narrative. First, Rajbhar, then Maurya, and soon (Sanjay) Nishad may come forward, followed by Anupriya Patel. However, no Thakur, Brahmin, or leader from an upper caste within the BJP will make such statements,' Verma said.

He also decoded the specific figure cited by Maurya: 'In order to break the 37 (SP Lok Sabha) MPs, they will require a two-thirds majority, meaning 25 MPs, that is why the number 25 is being claimed.' This is a reference to the anti-defection threshold under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which requires at least two-thirds of a party's legislators to merge with another faction for it to be legally recognised.

Opposition Solidarity and the 2027 Backdrop

SP MP Jitendra Kumar Dohare framed the attacks as a sign of desperation. 'Samajwadi Party is strong, and under Akhilesh Yadav's leadership, we are going to form the government (in UP) in 2027, that is why these leaders are frustrated,' he said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha also rallied behind SP, warning of broader democratic consequences. 'This is not the danger of one particular political party, but rather the Indian voters are in trouble. (Such defections) would mean that parties and their symbols do not matter anymore,' he said. This comes amid a wider national pattern of ruling coalitions being accused of engineering defections in opposition-held states — a charge the BJP has consistently denied.