Hinting of a possible patch-up with those who had left the party, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday (October 2, 2026) said the Rajya Sabha elections is “the time for coming together” and “stand united with others on matters of principle”.
Earlier in the day, SP MP Virendra Singh claimed several BJP MLAs wanted to contest the 2027 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh on SP tickets and were in touch with his party. Singh also said the Samajwadi Party will field a third candidate in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, setting the stage for a contest in the polls for 10 seats. The SP had on September 30 nominated veteran party leader Ram Gopal Yadav and Reliance Industries executive Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani for the elections. October 6 is the last date for filing nominations, according to the Election Commission schedule. Scrutiny will be held on October 7 and candidates can withdraw their nominations till October 9. Polling will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 16, followed by counting of votes on the same day. Following the recent death of BJP MLA from Agra’s Fatehabad Assembly constituency Chhotelal Verma, the BJP-led alliance has 288 MLAs in the 403-Uttar Pradesh Assembly. This includes 255 BJP MLAs, 13 MLAs from Apna Dal (Sonelal), 9 MLAs from the Rashtriya Lok Dal, 6 from the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party and 5 from NISHAD party. The SP-Congress combine has about 103, which includes 101 SP MLAs.
His remark assume significance, as leaders of the Samajwadi Party have been saying that the party will field three candidates in the ongoing Rajya Sabha polls, thereby triggering the possibility of cross-voting. Mr. SP MLA from Lucknow Central Ravidas Mehrotra too had echoed similar views. Both subsequently filed their nomination papers in Lucknow. A contest could arise if more candidates are fielded than the available seats, with cross-voting potentially becoming a factor. In that election, the BJP fielded an eighth candidate despite having the numbers to get seven elected unopposed, forcing a contest. Jansatta Dal Loktantrik has two MLAs, while there are three unattached MLAs including Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Manoj Kumar Pandey.
