’25-26 MPs of Samajwadi Party ready to break away’: Keshav Prasad Maurya amid OP Rajbhar’s split claims

KANPUR: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has claimed that several MPs of the Samajwadi Party (SP) are “ready to break away”, asserting that the ruling party is “not willing to create a split” in the Opposition party.

The Deputy Chief Minister criticised the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and asserted that his cycle will not be able to lead the Samajwadi Party, and it will never make it to the corridors of power. Speaking to reporters, Keshav Maurya said, “25-26 MPs of the Samajwadi Party are ready to break away, but we are not breaking them away at all. We know that they will themselves break away from the party…”

#WATCH | Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya says, “25–26 MPs of the Samajwadi Party are ready to break away, but we are not breaking away at all. We know that they will themselves break away from the party…”

(17.06) pic.twitter.com/82ZDq9TQmn

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) June 17, 2026

Maurya’s remarks come after the political temperature in Uttar Pradesh rose sharply on Wednesday after Uttar Pradesh Minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar claimed that a “major political realignment” was underway within the Samajwadi Party (SP), triggering a war of words between the ruling alliance and the opposition ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Om Prakash Rajbhar on Thursday reiterated that the Samajwadi Party “split is definitely going to happen”, suggesting that party chief Akhilesh Yadav should launch a ‘Save Our MPs’ campaign. He claimed that a rebel faction of the party’s dissident MPs would soon emerge under a Ballia leader.

In a post on X, Rajbhar wrote, “Ever since yesterday, everyone’s been asking what’s about to break in the SP? So listen! The rebel faction of SP’s dissident MPs will be led by a ‘red’ from Uttar Pradesh’s ‘Rebel Land.'”

कल से सब पूछ रहे हो कि सपा में क्या टूट होने वाली है?

तो सुनो!

सपा के बागी सांसदों के गुट का नेतृत्व उत्तर प्रदेश की ‘बागी भूमि’ का एक लाल करेगा।

और करे भी क्यों न?

कल जिस तरह से सपा कार्यालय में सम्मेलन के नाम पर ब्राह्मणों को तिरस्कृत किया गया, उससे ‘बागी बलिया’ का लाल…

— Om Prakash Rajbhar (@oprajbhar) June 18, 2026

“And why wouldn’t he? The way the SP office yesterday insulted Brahmins under the guise of a conference has deeply hurt the ‘red’ of ‘Rebel Ballia.’ The plan was already in place, but yesterday’s incident has poured ghee into the fire. The split is definitely going to happen,” he added.

Rajbhar also targeted the Samajwadi Party chief, advising him to focus on retaining his party leaders rather than engaging in social media politics.

“The way the entire Saifai family jumped into abusing me and issuing clarifications over one of my reactions — it’s far better for Akhilesh Babu to drop this Twitter, such-and-such, and PC-style leadership, and instead launch a ‘Save Our MPs’ campaign,” Rajbhar said. “And go to the homes of the upset and disappointed MPs to apologise to them,” he added.

Rajbhar’s explosive remarks, coupled with claims from BJP leaders that several Samajwadi Party MPs were ready to switch sides, sparked fresh speculation about possible unrest within the opposition party.

However, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and several party leaders strongly rejected the allegations, calling them politically motivated attempts to distract from issues facing the BJP government.

These remarks come at a time when there is already buzz related to a split within the Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs, and 20 Trinamool Congress MPs’ merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India. (ANI)