OP Rajbhar claims Samajwadi Party faces major split, says leaders ready to join BJP

At a time when two major Opposition parties - the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Shiv Sena (UBT) - are staring at the prospect of major splits in their ranks, Uttar Pradesh minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief OP Rajbhar claimed that the state's main Opposition party, Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP), could face a defection that would make the situations in West Bengal and Maharashtra pale in comparison.

Rajbhar, in a post on X, further stated that the entire SP was ready to join the BJP, adding that the Opposition party was getting anxious.

Rajbhar predicts split

“A major split is going to happen in the Samajwadi Party. Ram Gopal Yadav has submitted a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji,” stated Rajbhar.

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“Everyone in Uttar Pradesh knows who the mastermind behind the mining scam and Gomti River Front scam is. As the noose tightens, the SP is getting anxious. Forget Maharashtra and Bengal— the entire SP is sitting ready to join the BJP,” he added.

The remarks come at a time when the TMC and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are facing internal turmoil over possible defections and leadership challenges.

Akhilesh rubbishes claim

Dismissing Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar's claim of an impending split in the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh said that 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.

TMC facing major defection prospect

In West Bengal, the TMC is facing growing turmoil after its Assembly election defeat. A group of 58 MLAs has backed Ritabrata Banerjee's claim to the Leader of the Opposition post, triggering a legal dispute in the Calcutta High Court.

Also Read: TMC rebel MPs join NCPI to back NDA while also skirting legal hurdles

The crisis deepened after MP Kakoli Ghosh claimed the support of 19 other MPs and announced backing for the BJP-led NDA. The faction has also joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a move that could help it avoid anti-defection provisions if cleared by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

Shiv Sena’s (UBT) exodus predicament

In Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) is also facing speculation of a split. Leaders from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have claimed that six Sena (UBT) MPs may break away and merge with the party's Lok Sabha unit.

If that happens, the dissidents would constitute two-thirds of the parliamentary wing, protecting them from disqualification under the anti-defection law.

(With agency inputs)