India, June 21 -- Samajwadi Party rejects defection rumours, counters with claims against SBSP.

The political battle over alleged defections in Uttar Pradesh has intensified, with the Samajwadi Party (SP) rejecting claims of an internal split while countering that it has the ability to engineer a split in the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), led by Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar. The Samajwadi Party claims that Rajbhar's own party is vulnerable to a split.

Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Samajwadi Party national spokesperson IP Singh claimed that four of the six SBSP MLAs are in regular contact with the SP and are willing to join the party whenever the leadership decides.

"They contested the previous election ...