Samajwadi Party MP from Ballia, Sanatan Pandey, on Thursday, 18 June firmly rejected claims by Uttar Pradesh Minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar that a split within the SP is imminent, declaring he would serve the Akhilesh Yadav-led party 'till his last breath'. Rajbhar had posted on X suggesting the break-up would be led by the 'son of UP's land of rebels' — an apparent reference to Pandey.

Pandey's Unequivocal Rebuttal

Responding directly to Rajbhar's post, Pandey said: 'First, I want to thank him (Rajbhar) for such detailed information. I want to clearly say that I will not leave the party. This is a straightforward answer. Throughout my life, whether I remain in politics or not, whether I am an MP or not, my entire being is rooted in socialism. No power in the world can separate me from socialism and the Samajwadi Party.'

Pandey also took a pointed swipe at the BJP-led state government: 'The power based on which such claims are being made can only encounter and frighten people like us.' He added that he does not possess wealth earned through illegal means and insisted that no amount of political pressure could 'buy' him.

On the Possibility of Others Leaving SP

Pandey acknowledged that others within the party may choose to exit, but drew a clear line for himself. 'Until the last moment of my life, even if I get a chance to serve only as a watchman of the party office, I will do it with everything I have, in order to save the party,' he said. The statement signals that whatever internal tensions may exist within the SP, Pandey is publicly distancing himself from any breakaway faction.

The Brahmin Community Flashpoint

At the centre of Rajbhar's original allegation was a claim that members of the Brahmin community were insulted at an SP office event. Pandey pushed back sharply, describing what he witnessed as a show of strength, not discord. 'For the first time in my life, I saw a large gathering of Brahmin community members from across the state. In our organisation, there are 78 members, but I noticed thousands of Brahmins present from different parts of the state in the event,' he said.

Pandey further argued that Brahmin sentiment has, in fact, turned against the ruling establishment: 'People strongly said that the support and expectations they had from the Bharatiya Janata Party have not been fulfilled. According to them, the most affected community under this government has been the Brahmin community.' This framing positions the SP as a refuge for disenchanted Brahmin voters — a constituency both the SP and BJP have long contested in Uttar Pradesh.

Background and What's Next

Rajbhar's SBSP is a current ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. His public prediction of an SP split — and the invocation of Ballia's rebellious political identity — is widely read as an attempt to peel away SP legislators and build pressure on Akhilesh Yadav ahead of the next state election cycle. Pandey's swift and emphatic denial suggests the SP leadership is alert to such manoeuvres. Whether other SP MPs respond similarly will be closely watched in the coming days.