Ahead Of UP Bypolls, SP Starts Poster War With BJP Over Yogi’s Remark – News18

Last Updated:November 04, 2024, 18:52 IST

Taking a jibe at UP CM’s recent “batenge toh katenge” remark, the SP has put up banners with the slogan – ‘Na Katenge, Na Batenge’

Amid the assembly bypoll battle, Uttar Pradesh (UP) is witnessing a ‘poster battle’ between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Taking a jibe at UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s (CM) recent “batenge toh katenge” remark, the SP has put up banners and posters across the state with the slogan – ‘Na Katenge, Na Batenge’. The state will see bypolls for nine assembly seats on November 13.

Of the many, the one in front of the SP office in Lucknow reads: ‘Mathadeesh Batenge aur Katenge, PDA Jodega aur Jeetega’. “The SP is a party of all religions. Party founder ‘Netaji’ Mulayam Singh Yadav and party chief Akhilesh Yadav have worked for all sections of the society, and formed policies for them. However, the BJP works by dividing on the basis of caste,” said Amit Chaubey, an SP activist from Maharajganj district.

Moreover, this is not the lone hoarding on the remark highlighting the SP’s newly coined ‘Picchda Dalit Alpsankhyak (PDA)’ formula, which helped the SP secure 37 seats in the recent 2024 Lok Sabha Polls.

Another hoarding by an SP activist reads: ‘Na Batenge, Na Katenge, PDA Ke Sang Rahenge (Will stay with PDA, neither divide nor fall)’. Another by SP worker Ranjeet Singh reads: ‘Na batenge, na katenge, 2027 ko nafrat karne waale hatenge. Hindu Muslim ek rahenge to ek rahenge (Will neither divide, nor fall, those who do play dirty politics will be removed in 2027)’.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), too, couldn’t resist itself from getting into the ‘poster war’. BSP chief Mayawati recently said, “BSP se judenge toh aage badhenge, surakshit rahenge (Will progress and remain safe with the BSP)”.

WOOING VOTERS

UP’s political observers called the poster war an attempt to woo voters.

“Poster war is quite a common phenomenon among political parties to woo voters ahead of polls. It is also one of the most effective ways to leave a deep impact on the people,” said Shashikant Pandey, head of the department of political science, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow.

Pandey noted that the Dalit and other backward caste vote bank, which represents a substantial portion of UP’s population, is highly sought after by all political parties.

POLITICAL HEAT

Recently, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, in an apparent reference to the remark, said this “negative” slogan is symbolic of the BJP’s “disappointment and failure”. He also claimed this slogan will be recorded in the country’s history as the “worst slogan” and will lead to the BJP’s political downfall.

Reacting to Yadav’s comments, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya termed the SP chief’s ‘PDA’ as “parivaar development agency”. Besides, the Deputy CM said: “Our party’s slogan is the one coined by our top leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. ‘Batenge to katenge’ was part of a speech, it is not the party’s slogan.”

Mayawati slammed the SP and BJP for their “misleading” slogans, saying they were designed to divert people’s attention from their own shortcomings.

YOGI’S REMARK

The UP CM’s slogan first surfaced in August 2024 amid reports of attacks on Hindus following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in Bangladesh, signalling a call for unity. Addressing a public meeting in Agra, the CM said, “Nothing can be above the nation. And the nation will be empowered only when we are united… Batenge to katenge, ek rahenge to nek rahenge.”

The slogan resurfaced on October 26, 2024, after the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) backed the CM’s remark. RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale endorsed the message, emphasising that Hindu unity is the Sangh’s “lifetime pledge.” Hosabale said, “If the Hindu society does not remain united, then ‘batenge to katenge’ could become a reality.”