Lucknow: After weeks of hectic parleys, Samajwadi Party is learnt to have finalised talks with 30 fence-sitter MLAs from rival parties who have expressed a willingness to switch sides ahead of the 2027 assembly polls.While SP functionaries declined to reveal the identities of these legislators, party sources claimed the list includes at least 21 BJP MLAs, besides some legislators from the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).The RLD and SBSP had contested the 2022 UP polls in alliance with the Samajwadi Party. Jayant Chaudhary led RLD contested on 33 seats and won 8 of them while OP Rajbhar led SBSP contested on 17 seats and won 6 of them.The two parties later sided with the BJP to become a part of the NDA govt at the Centre and in UP.“Many of these MLAs are those who have got indications that their constituency might be changed. However, most belong to the group of MLAs who have openly opposed govt on some issues earlier. Many of these were associated with a protest that they had staged against their own govt,” said a source in SP privy to the list.If sources in SP are to be believed, at least five MLAs have sent feelers to SP ever since the Ram Temple donation theft case has come to light.This was the group that the SP president Akhilesh Yadav referred to on Thursday when talking to the media he said he has received calls from the BJP camp by netas seeking to switch sides, sources said.The ruling coalition, however, dismissed the SP’s claims.“The SP has been making such claims time and again. They should keep their house in order. Our party is fully secure,” said BJP state spokesperson, Hero Bajpai.A senior RLD leader said there was no reason for party MLAs, irrespective of their caste or religious affiliations, to jump ship.“Our party is absolutely safe and secure,” he said.SBSP spokesperson, Piyush Mishra, said the SP was probably pointing towards its leaders who contested on SBSP tickets and won.“It is their perspective. There is nothing which is bothering our party,” he said.The non-BJP ‘fence-sitters’ primarily includes two types of MLAs: Those who were members of the SP but contested 2022 assembly polls on the tickets of alliance partners, namely the RLD and the SBSP. The second lot comprises MLAs of the two alliance partners who contested and won elections from constituencies which are dominated by SP’s traditional voters – the Yadav led Backwards and Muslims.“We understand that quite a few of these MLAs belonging to former SP allies were forced to stay put with govt after they were threatened by police investigations and similar pressure tactics,” said a senior SP neta privy to the talks.
