Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘2 stool’ jibe backfires as UP Deputy CMs hit back with ‘super duo’ comeback

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New Delhi: The political rivalry in Uttar Pradesh took a sharp and cinematic turn this Saturday as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav engaged in a digital spat with the state’s top leadership.

Yadav took to X (formerly Twitter) to post a 42-second video featuring the two BJP Deputy Chief Ministers, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, walking together with a caption, “two stools do not make a chair.”

The jab was far from subtle. The video was layered with classical Bollywood music with lyrics serving as a pointed warning to the public to stay alert against “cheaters and wrongdoers,” a move clearly designed to undermine the authority and status of the Deputy CM positions within the government.

The post didn’t sit well with the BJP camp, leading to an immediate and sharp retaliation from both leaders. They dismissed the post as a sign of desperation from an opposition leader who is increasingly “rattled” by the state’s current trajectory.

“Fit and hit” counter-attack

Keshav Prasad Maurya was quick to respond, describing the partnership between the two Deputy CMs as a “fit and hit pair” that has the Samajwadi Party intimidated. He said, “It is entirely justified for you to be intimidated by a fit and hit pair.”

He added that he represents the lineage to Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, stating his commitment to an undivided India. He also took the opportunity to remind voters of the alleged “systemic atrocities” faced by weaker sections like the Kushwaha, Maurya, and Saini communities during the previous Samajwadi Party regime.

Super duo representing new UP

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak characterised the duo as a “super duo” driving a “new Uttar Pradesh.” He criticised Yadav for focusing on “dirty politics”. He said, “We believe more in working on the ground than in words.”

With the 2027 Assembly elections looming on the horizon, the political atmosphere is heating up in Uttar Pradesh and  Keshav Prasad made it clear that the public would provide a final answer to these jibes at the ballot box.