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Major Blow to SP and Congress as Three Rebel Leaders Join BJP in Uttar Pradesh.
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News18•14-10-2026, 15:07
Major Blow to SP and Congress as Three Rebel Leaders Join BJP in Uttar Pradesh.
- •Ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Samajwadi Party and Congress suffered a major setback as three rebel MLAs joined the BJP.
- •The leaders who switched sides include Rakesh Pratap Singh from Gauriganj, Abhay Singh from Gosainganj, and Vinod Chaturvedi from Kalpi.
- •The joining event took place at the MLA residence Mangalam in Amethi, attended by senior leaders including Smriti Irani and Pankaj Chaudhary.
- •Vinod Chaturvedi praised the development work in Bundelkhand under Yogi Adityanath and cited reasons of faith regarding the Ayodhya Ram Temple for leaving the SP.
- •The rebellion traces back to cross-voting during the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections, ultimately leading to their expulsion and final shift to the BJP.
Key Questions Answered
Three rebel MLAs—Rakesh Pratap Singh from Gauriganj, Abhay Singh from Gosainganj, and Vinod Chaturvedi from Kalpi—officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during an event in Amethi on October 14, 2026.
After cross-voting during the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections and subsequent detachment from the party, the Samajwadi Party formally expelled Rakesh Pratap Singh, Abhay Singh, and Manoj Pandey in June 2025 because they failed to return after being given a chance.
The membership induction event held at MLA residence Mangalam in Amethi was attended by National General Secretary Smriti Irani, State President Pankaj Chaudhary, alongside several state ministers, MLAs, and thousands of supporters.
