Keshav Prasad Maurya Reaffirms BJP's Strength, Opposition Alleges Party Discord

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya asserted on Wednesday that the BJP's organizational strength is greater than the government, prompting reactions from Opposition leaders. Maurya took a swipe at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, declaring that BJP remains robust at both state and national levels and predicted a repeat victory in the 2027 assembly elections, similar to 2017.

His comments followed a meeting with BJP President JP Nadda in Delhi. Maurya stated, 'The organization is bigger than the government. The pain of the workers is my pain. No one is bigger than the organization; the workers are the pride.' A separate meeting was held between Nadda and Uttar Pradesh BJP Chief Bhupender Chaudhary. Maurya, who was the state BJP president during the 2017 victory, serves his second term as Deputy CM despite losing the 2022 Assembly election, later securing a seat in the Legislative Council.

The post stirred political circles, leading opposition members to speculate on internal rifts within the BJP. Akhilesh Yadav criticized the BJP for focusing on power struggles to the detriment of governance. Congress leader Pramod Tiwari drew parallels with the past leadership struggles during Kalyan Singh's tenure, indicating a potential repeat of history.

(With inputs from agencies.)