Split speculation are now haunting the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party after internal turmoil in two major opposition parties in two states — the Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by ex-West Bengal CM and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (Shiv Sena-UBT) in Maharashtra.
In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress has been hit by one of its biggest crises since losing the recent Assembly election to the BJP. The party is facing a twin challenge - a rebellion by MLAs in the state assembly and a revolt by MPs in Parliament.
In Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) is also battling speculation of a split with ‘Operation Tiger’ gaining momentum. Operation Tiger is the name given to the alleged attempts by Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party to poach Sena (UBT) elected representatives.
The SP is now firefighting the split speculation blaze, triggered by an Uttar Pradesh minister's big claim and trashed by Samajwadi Party leadership, including Akhilesh Yadav himself.
Amid turmoil in West Bengal's Trinamool Congress and buzz of a brewing split in Maharashtra's Shiv Sena (UBT), speculation of a possible split in former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP) surfaced on Wednesday after state minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief OP Rajbhar claimed that the opposition party could face a major exodus.
Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya claimed Wednesday that 25 to 26 Samajwadi Party MPs are poised to leave the party ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, while denying that the BJP is attempting to facilitate any defections.
The buzz of rebellion in Samajwadi Party comes amid speculation over the possibility of early Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and attention also turning to the biennial elections for 10 Rajya Sabha seats and 21 Legislative Council seats that will fall vacant later this year and in early 2027.
Given its numerical strength, the BJP is well placed to increase its representation in the Rajya Sabha, while the BSP is set to lose its sole presence in the Upper House after Gautam's term ends.
Political observers believe the BJP would prefer the Rajya Sabha elections to be conducted before the Assembly polls. Such a move could help boost cadre morale by increasing the party's strength in the Upper House and provide an opportunity to accommodate leaders from various caste groups, including OBCs and Dalits, in an effort to counter the SP's PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) formula.
