UP minister claims defections likely from SP, Congress: 'Most MPs, MLAs in touch with us'

Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad has asserted that more than two dozen Members of Parliament from the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress are prepared to join his Nishad Party before the 2027 state assembly elections.

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Most of the MPs and MLAs are in touch with us, asking us to somehow take them to Delhi and facilitate a conversation with the central leadership.

Nishad, who also leads the Nishad Party and is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh, claimed that MPs adhering to Hindutva ideology are particularly eager to switch parties. He stated, "Most of the MPs and MLAs are in touch with us, asking us to somehow take them to Delhi and facilitate a conversation with the central leadership."

These claims follow similar assertions by Uttar Pradesh minister OP Rajbhar and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. Rajbhar suggested a significant split in the SP was imminent, drawing parallels to recent political shifts within the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena. Maurya had previously claimed that 25 to 26 SP MPs were poised to leave the party.

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A major split in the Samajwadi Party is certain, much like what happened with the TMC and Shiv Sena.

The Samajwadi Party has vehemently denied these allegations. Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav dismissed Rajbhar’s claims as a "BJP conspiracy" designed to mislead the public and garner media attention. This stance echoes that of party national president Akhilesh Yadav, who had already refuted the possibility of an imminent split.

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A BJP conspiracy meant to mislead the public and grab media attention.