Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, announced that several disgruntled legislators from the Samajwadi Party (SP) would formally join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with induction formalities set to be completed the same day. The development, centred on Amethi, signals fresh turbulence within the SP ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Key Developments

'Several leaders have been with the BJP for a long time, and the formalities will be completed today. There are many SP leaders who are unhappy with their party and are joining the BJP,' Rajbhar said. According to reports, three SP MLAs are likely to formally switch allegiance to the BJP at Amethi, though the names have not been officially confirmed.

This is not an isolated instance — defections and cross-party movement have been a recurring feature of Uttar Pradesh's political landscape in the run-up to state elections, with both the BJP and the SP aggressively courting dissatisfied legislators from rival camps.

Rajbhar's Broadside Against Akhilesh Yadav

Rajbhar also launched a pointed attack on SP president Akhilesh Yadav, alleging that the opposition leader had 'nothing logical left to say' and urging him to introspect rather than target rivals. Reacting to Yadav's recent criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Rajbhar said, 'If he has betrayed Allah and Lord Ram, he should look within himself before questioning others. What does he have to say about others when he should be looking at his own actions?'

The remarks represent an escalation in rhetoric between the two parties, with Rajbhar repeatedly framing Yadav as being on the defensive politically.

Owaisi Factor and the Muslim Vote Calculus

A day earlier, on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, Rajbhar claimed that All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi's growing public support across Uttar Pradesh had made Akhilesh Yadav visibly anxious. He alleged that Owaisi had approached the SP for an electoral alliance, but Yadav had ignored the overture and effectively sidelined the AIMIM chief.

'Owaisi wanted to form an alliance with the Samajwadi Party so that they could contest the elections together. However, Akhilesh Yadav was ignoring him. In a way, he had sidelined Owaisi. But when Akhilesh saw huge crowds gathering at Owaisi's rallies, whether in Saharanpur, Bahraich, Kanpur or Azamgarh, he became worried,' Rajbhar said.

Rajbhar added that the SP was reportedly conducting internal surveys to gauge whether Muslim voters were drifting toward Owaisi and whether an AIMIM alliance would erode the SP's support among backward communities — a constituency both parties contest fiercely.

The Broader 2027 Election Context

The latest political manoeuvres underscore the intensifying contest between the BJP and the SP as Uttar Pradesh moves into pre-election mode. With 403 assembly seats at stake, both parties are working to consolidate their respective coalition bases — the BJP through defections and the narrative of a fractured opposition, and the SP through outreach to backward communities and minority voters.

Notably, Rajbhar himself leads the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the BJP, and his remarks carry significance as a barometer of alliance dynamics within the ruling coalition in the state. How many MLAs ultimately cross over — and whether they represent a trickle or a tide — will clarify the SP's internal cohesion in the weeks ahead.