BJP Mathura posters mock Akhilesh as 'Angad's leg' ahead of 2027 UP polls
Synopsis
BJP hoardings in Mathura have turned Amit Shah's 'Angad's leg' metaphor into campaign art, showing Akhilesh Yadav failing twice — in 2022 and 2027 — to dislodge the BJP. It is a visual escalation of an already sharp exchange, with both parties signalling they are in full campaign mode more than a year before Uttar Pradesh votes.
Key Takeaways
BJP erected hoardings in Mathura on 11 November depicting Akhilesh Yadav trying and failing to remove 'Angad's leg' in 2022 and 2027 UP elections.
The image references Home Minister Amit Shah's remark at a BJP state executive meeting in Lucknow last month, comparing the BJP government in UP to the immovable leg of Angad from the Ramayana.
Akhilesh Yadav had countered Shah at the 'Dilli Chalo' rally at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi on 1 November , saying BJP had no ground left to place Angad's leg.
Yadav cited the BJP-led NDA's defeat in five UP Legislative Council seats , including Varanasi, as evidence of weakening support.
Shah had also raised the 1990 Ayodhya firing incident at the Lucknow event, questioning SP's claim to govern UP again.
Both parties are already in active campaign mode ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections .
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has erected hoardings in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, ostensibly to extend Diwali greetings, but the imagery has sparked political conversation: Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav is depicted attempting to dislodge what the poster labels 'Angad's leg' — a direct reference to a pointed remark made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the BJP's grip on power in the state.
The 'Angad's Leg' Metaphor Explained
The imagery draws on the mythological figure Angad from the Ramayana, whose leg was said to be immovable once planted. Home Minister Shah had invoked this metaphor during the inauguration of the BJP's state executive committee meeting in Lucknow last month, warning that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is as unshakeable as Angad's leg and that no opposition party can displace it. The Mathura posters extend this symbolism visually, showing Yadav making two unsuccessful attempts — labelled 2022 and 2027 — to remove the metaphorical leg, referencing the last and the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Akhilesh Hits Back at the Ramlila Maidan Rally
SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav had already fired back at Shah's original remark while addressing the 'Dilli Chalo' rally at New Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on 1 November. The rally was organised to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities.
Responding to Shah's Angad metaphor, Yadav said: "Those who came saying that their stance is unshakeable like 'Angad's leg', now know that there is no ground left beneath their feet, so where will you place Angad's leg?"
He further warned: "Those who once came from Uttar Pradesh will be driven out of it itself. The people of the state know how to welcome and even know it better how to bid farewell. In 2027, their farewell will be of such a kind that the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies will not be able to return again."
SP Points to BJP's Recent Council Poll Losses
Yadav also referenced the BJP-led NDA's defeat in five seats in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council polls, including in Varanasi, as evidence of eroding support. "Those boasting of a double-engine government ended up getting a double defeat and a double zero in Uttar Pradesh... I am happy that the people of Kashi gave them a double zero!" he said, in remarks that have since drawn considerable attention.
Shah's Lucknow Remarks and the SP's Ayodhya Record
At the same Lucknow event, Amit Shah also raised the 1990 Ayodhya firing incident, alleging that unarmed Ram devotees and kar sevaks were fired upon indiscriminately during the then-SP government and that the waters of the Saryu river ran red with blood. He questioned how the SP could stake a claim to govern the state again. The BJP has regularly invoked this incident as a campaign flashpoint against the SP heading into the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
What This Signals Ahead of 2027
The Mathura poster campaign illustrates how both parties are already in campaign mode roughly 15 months before the state goes to the polls. The BJP's use of a cultural metaphor rooted in the Ramayana — particularly significant in a state where Ayodhya and Hindu religiosity carry deep electoral weight — signals an early attempt to frame the 2027 contest on BJP-favourable terrain. The SP's pointed counter-narrative, centred on institutional accountability and Council poll results, suggests the opposition is equally eager to shape the pre-poll discourse. How the 'Angad's leg' metaphor resonates with Uttar Pradesh's vast electorate will likely be tested in coming months.
Point of View
Then dare the SP to argue against it. That the BJP felt compelled to respond visually to Akhilesh's Ramlila Maidan riposte suggests Shah's original metaphor did not land as decisively as intended. Yadav's pointed reference to the NDA's Legislative Council losses in Varanasi is the sharper political blow here — it converts a rhetorical metaphor into verifiable electoral data. The real question is whether the SP can sustain this counter-narrative long enough to make the Council results a credible harbinger of 2027, or whether the BJP's cultural and organisational machinery will reset the frame before votes are cast.
NationPress
11 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the BJP hoardings in Mathura show?
The BJP hoardings in Mathura depict SP President Akhilesh Yadav attempting — and failing — to remove 'Angad's leg' on two occasions labelled 2022 and 2027, referencing the last and upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The imagery draws on Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remark comparing the BJP government in UP to the immovable leg of the Ramayana character Angad.
What did Amit Shah say about 'Angad's leg' and the BJP government in UP?
During the inauguration of the BJP's state executive committee meeting in Lucknow last month, Shah declared that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is 'Angad's leg' — a reference to the mythological figure from the Ramayana whose leg cannot be moved — and warned that opposition parties cannot dislodge it.
How did Akhilesh Yadav respond to Amit Shah's remark?
Akhilesh Yadav responded at the 'Dilli Chalo' rally at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi on 1 November, saying that those who boasted of an unshakeable stance now had no ground beneath their feet. He also predicted that the BJP and its allies would be 'bid farewell' in such a manner in 2027 that they would not be able to return.
What are the UP Legislative Council results Akhilesh referenced?
Akhilesh Yadav cited the BJP-led NDA's defeat in five seats in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council polls, including in Varanasi, as evidence of declining BJP support. He described the result as a 'double zero' for the BJP, particularly highlighting the loss in Varanasi — Prime Minister Modi's constituency.
Why does the Angad metaphor carry weight in Uttar Pradesh politics?
The Ramayana holds deep cultural and religious significance in Uttar Pradesh, home to Ayodhya, and invoking its characters in political messaging resonates with a large section of the electorate. The BJP has consistently used religious and mythological imagery to frame political contests in the state, and the Angad metaphor directly targets both the SP's electoral ambitions and the broader 2027 narrative.
