BJP vs BJP in Uttar Pradesh: Rift between Sangeet Som and Sanjeev Baliyan escalates after latter threatens legal action

The rift between BJP leader Sangeet Som and Union minister Sanjeev Balyan has taken a new turn after pamphlets with serious allegations against former Balyan were distributed. Responding to the allegations, Balyan's friend Sanjeev Sehrawat, mentioned in the pamphlets, denied the accusations and threatened legal action against Som.

"I have sent a defamation notice of Rs 10 crore to Sangeet Som," Sehrawat said. "If Som fails to respond within a week, I will proceed with legal action against him."

Former MLA Sangeet Som who belongs to the Rajput community, and Jat leader Sanjeev Balyan have been at odds even before the start of the Lok Sabha elections. Their conflict escalated after Balyan lost to Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Harendra Malik by 25,000 votes in the Muzaffarnagar parliamentary constituency. This also comes at a time when BJP is preparing to review the performance of its party in Lok Sabha Elections in UP.

In 2019, the BJP won 18 out of 26 seats in western UP. This time, they only managed to secure 13 seats.

Balyan, who lost the election this time, has accused the party’s former Sardhana MLA, Sangeet Singh Som, of sabotaging his re-election bid by "supporting the Samajwadi Party (SP)." Sardhana is one of the five Assembly segments in the Muzaffarnagar parliamentary seat, along with Budhana, Charthawal, Muzaffarnagar, and Khatauli.

“He (Sangeet Som) supported the SP candidate in the election.  The atmosphere in western UP was spoiled through panchayats by the Rajput community and he facilitated these panchayats. That divided the votes. That affected the results in Kairana and Saharanpur also,"  Balyan was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

During his press conference in Meerut on Tuesday, Sangeet Singh Som reportedly distributed a two-page unsigned and undated press release on his letterhead. The document highlighted alleged corruption during former Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan's previous five-year tenure.

Among the accusations were claims of a partnership in an ethanol plant with former SP leader Gaurav Swarup, who joined the BJP in 2022, alleged purchases of land totaling 600 bighas in Jansath, Shukratal, and Shukrateerth, and accusations of corruption related to pond excavation projects in Muzaffarnagar, among other claims.

Sangeet Singh Som filed a written complaint at Lalkurti police station, alleging that a suspicious individual distributed fake press notes during his press conference at his Meerut residence. He mentioned that a forged letter-pad was circulated during the event.

Meanwhile, Sanjeev Balyan said that he would address the allegations against him within two days after his return. He emphasized that he preferred to respond comprehensively rather than in fragments.