Akhilesh bats for Rahul Gandhi’s claim of Union government falling in a year

New Delhi: Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s recent claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government will fall within a year found support from the Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav.

“He’s right,” Yadav said, answering a question during a press conference on Tuesday.

“Once the SP comes to power in Uttar Pradesh, the Union government will fall,” he added.

The Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh is slated for early next year.

Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, stirred a political storm on May 23 predicting the fall of the BJP-led government at the Centre.

He was addressing a meeting of the Congress’ minority advisory committee, when he reportedly claimed that the Union government will fall within a year due to growing economic discontent.

The BJP has strongly reacted to this remark, terming it as an attempt at creating anarchy in the country.

In a video statement posted on social media platform X, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra condemned Rahul Gandhi’s words claiming that it indicated that the Congress leader “is conspiring to overthrow the government through chaos. However, the people of the country will never allow his conspiracy to succeed”.

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that Rahul Gandhi’s statement points to a massive conspiracy by the “Tookit Gang”.

However, Akhilesh Yadav’s statement endorsing Rahul Gandhi’s words indicate the SP Chief’s intent at reviving the INDIA bloc in a desperate attempt at challenging the BJP’s expanding political footprint in the country.

Uttar Pradesh, incidentally, holds a sway in Lok Sabha, sending 80 MPs to the Lower House — the largest of any state.

Usually, whoever dominates the state has a decisive advantage in forming the government at the Centre.

The BJP’s stronghold in Uttar Pradesh since 2014 has been the backbone of its national majority.

For Akhilesh Yadav, by linking state politics directly to the Union government’s stability, it is a signal that breaking BJP’s grip in his state would pave way for its national dominance.

This is also a way of projecting the SP as an important cog in national politics, not just a regional player.

This rhetoric also positions SP as indispensable within the Opposition alliance, signalling to the Congress and other allies that without its success in Uttar Pradesh, the bloc cannot hope to challenge BJP nationally.

IANS