Three Rebel SP MLAs Join BJP Ahead of 2027 UP Elections
Smriti Irani and Pankaj Chaudhary welcome the defectors in Amethi as BJP leaders target the Congress and Samajwadi Party.
GG News Bureau
Lucknow, 14th Oct: Three rebel Samajwadi Party (SP) MLAs — Rakesh Pratap Singh, Abhay Singh and Vinod Chaturvedi — joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday at a membership programme in Gauriganj, Amethi, in the presence of Union Minister and Uttar Pradesh BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary and BJP national general secretary Smriti Irani.
Addressing the gathering, Irani accused the Congress of targeting the Election Commission for political purposes and alleged that the party was attempting to create an atmosphere of anarchy. She also criticised the Gandhi family’s political approach and expressed confidence in the BJP’s electoral prospects.
Chaudhary said the BJP would seek victory across Uttar Pradesh in the 2027 Assembly elections, including in Amethi and Rae Bareli. He alleged that the three MLAs had felt constrained within the SP and argued that dynastic and caste-based politics was declining.
The three leaders offered different reasons for joining the BJP. Chaturvedi cited development work in Bundelkhand, Abhay Singh referred to ideological differences with the SP leadership, while Rakesh Pratap Singh said he wanted to strengthen the BJP in Gauriganj, a constituency he has represented three consecutive times since 2012.
Rakesh Pratap Singh and Abhay Singh had been expelled by the SP in June 2025 after tensions with the party leadership, including controversy surrounding the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections.
The event was attended by several state ministers, BJP leaders and supporters, drawing a sizeable gathering in Amethi, a politically significant constituency that has witnessed major electoral shifts in recent years.
