Overview
- The three MLAs — Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj), Abhay Singh (Gosainganj) and Vinod Chaturvedi (Kalpi) — formally joined the BJP at a public event in Amethi on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
- All three were elected on Samajwadi Party tickets in 2022 and had publicly endorsed or voted for a BJP candidate in the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections, a move that earlier prompted disciplinary action including Rakesh Pratap Singh’s expulsion in June 2025.
- State BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary and national leader Smriti Irani attended the induction, where the MLAs were welcomed with saffron stoles and several senior state leaders were present.
- Rakesh Pratap Singh cited religious and internal organisational grievances as reasons for switching, and he claimed strong local backing and the potential migration of many booth‑level workers to the BJP though those numerical claims have not been independently verified.
- Observers note this change follows a pattern of SP defectors who supported BJP candidates in 2024 later joining the BJP and receiving rewards such as cabinet posts, a trend that could weaken the Samajwadi Party’s cohesion and affect campaign dynamics ahead of the 2027 polls.