Uttar Pradesh Minister of State (independent charge) Manohar Lal Panth made a controversial remark in Jalaun district on July 9 comparing Opposition unity against the BJP with barking dogs against a powerful roaming elephant. “When elephant roams and does its work, dogs bark,” he said, when reporters asked him about Opposition unity.
The BJP in Uttar Pradesh had played down the Opposition challenge against it in 2024. Earlier, when a huge banner at the Samajwadi Party State headquarters in Lucknow reading “U.P.+Bihar= Gayi Modi Sarkar” with photos of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and SP president Akhilesh Yadav made headlines amid speculations that Mr. Kumar may contest from the Phulpur Lok Sabha seat of Uttar Pradesh in 2024 polls, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya mocked the idea, saying the Bihar Chief Minister needed the BJP to win in Bihar, forget about Uttar Pradesh. “In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Mr. Kumar was able to win two seats. His seat share increased with the face of Narendra Modi. Without the BJP, he cannot even win in Bihar, forget about Uttar Pradesh. In fact, he would not open his account here,” said Mr. Maurya.
