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Three rebel SP MLAs join BJP; Smriti Irani targets SP, Cong
Legislators who crossed over at an induction ceremony are Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj, Amethi), Abhay Singh (Gosainganj, Ayodhya) and Vinod Chaturvedi (Kalpi, Jalaun)
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LUCKNOW In a boost to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a fresh setback to the Samajwadi Party (SP) ahead of the 2027 UP Assembly elections, three rebel SP legislators joined the ruling party on Wednesday in the presence of Union minister and UP BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary and BJP national general secretary Smriti Irani.
The legislators who crossed over at an induction ceremony in Gauriganj (Amethi) are Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj, Amethi), Abhay Singh (Gosainganj, Ayodhya) and Vinod Chaturvedi (Kalpi, Jalaun).
Wednesday’s induction marks the culmination of a rebellion within the SP that began during the February 2024 Rajya Sabha elections, when seven party MLAs cross-voted in favour of BJP candidates, leading to the defeat of the SP’s third nominee, Alok Ranjan.
The rebels were Manoj Kumar Pandey, Rakesh Pratap Singh, Abhay Singh, Vinod Chaturvedi, Rakesh Pandey, Pooja Pal and Ashutosh Maurya. Manoj Pandey subsequently joined the BJP and became a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government in May 2026 while Pooja Pal was appointed BJP state vice-president in June this year.
The SP expelled Manoj Pandey, Rakesh Pratap Singh and Abhay Singh in June 2025. With Rakesh Pratap Singh, Abhay Singh and Vinod Chaturvedi joining the BJP on Wednesday, five of the seven MLAs who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls are now in the BJP’s fold.
Addressing a public meeting after the induction ceremony at Gauriganj, Irani targeted the SP and Congress, accusing the opposition of questioning democratic institutions instead of accepting electoral verdicts and introspecting on its political failures.
Taking a swipe at the SP, she said its bicycle had been punctured in the previous election and that the opposition should respect the people’s mandate rather than blame the Election Commission.
Targeting the Congress over dynastic politics, Irani said the opposition could bring several parties together to make its “yuvraj” a “shahenshah”, but the people’s verdict in UP would be determined by development, good governance and national interest. She questioned the Congress’s ability to lead the country when it was unable to win public confidence on its own and asked it to introspect on its political decline.
Chaudhary said the induction of the three legislators would strengthen the BJP organisation and lend fresh momentum to its development-oriented politics. He claimed they had been dissatisfied with the SP’s policies and political direction.
He said Amethi and Rae Bareli were not the fiefdom of any political family and accused the Congress of failing to ensure adequate development in the two constituencies despite decades of political influence. He credited Irani with reaching out to people at the grassroots and working for the region’s development.
He criticised the opposition for blaming EVMs and the Election Commission for electoral defeats.
Rakesh Pratap Singh described his induction as a “homecoming”, saying he had a longstanding association with the BJP. He said he had consulted supporters, workers and family members before taking the decision and that many workers who had earlier worked for the BJP at the booth level had joined him.
Abhay Singh cited his commitment to Lord Ram, Sanatan culture and national pride. Referring to the Ramcharitmanas controversy, he said political parties should clarify their position on alleged disrespect to the revered text.
Vinod Chaturvedi said he had joined the BJP in the interest of public welfare, development and national interest.
Those present at the ceremony included BJP national secretary Bhola Singh, OBC Morcha national president and MP Amar Pal Maurya, former Union minister Sanjeev Balyan, state ministers Dara Singh Chauhan, Dayashankar Singh, Dinesh Pratap Singh and Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh, ministers Pratibha Shukla and Krishna Paswan, state vice-president Ramesh Singh and party headquarters in-charge and MLC Govind Narayan Shukla, besides other public representatives and senior leaders.
