As the Lok Sabha elections heat up, Samajwadi Party, led by Akhilesh Yadav, is contesting 63 seats, while the Congress, represented by Rahul Gandhi, is eyeing 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently criticized the two leaders during a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha, suggesting that the public has dismissed their alleged “movie featuring two princes.” The PM equated their campaign to a production riddled with nepotism, corruption, and appeasement, which he believes is ultimately rejected by the people.

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During the public gathering, PM Modi went on to accuse the opposition of launching continuous assaults on their faith. He pointed out that the local Congress candidate struggled even to chant the patriotic slogan “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.”

Additionally, he censured both the Samajwadi Party and the Congress for declining their invitations to participate in the consecration ceremony for the Ayodhya Ram Temple in January. He remarked on their open disparagement of Ram Mandir and Sanatana belief system. On Ram Navami, he noted that the grand Surya Tilak ritual was performed on Lord Ram. Yet, he claimed that Samajwadi Party members publicly brand Lord Ram devotees as hypocrites.

Opposition parties did not attend the temple event, arguing that the BJP had co-opted it for political gain.

Earlier in 2017, Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav had run as allies in the Lok Sabha elections but failed to prevent a sweeping BJP victory. Subsequently, Yogi Adityanath was appointed Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister.

At a recent joint press conference, Yadav and Gandhi projected that the BJP would secure only 150 seats in the Lok Sabha election. The pair expressed optimism, as reports suggest growing support for their alliance in Uttar Pradesh, which they attribute to an unspoken public sentiment favoring the “INDI bloc.”