LUCKNOW, Sept. 2 -- A cryptic social media post on X by former Union minister and senior Dalit BJP leader Kaushal Kishore has triggered speculations within and outside the party, with some reading his "falling ball" metaphor as a veiled comment on the BJP's dramatic political rise since 2014. The post comes at a time when the stage is set for political calibration and recalibration by parties and individual leaders ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. "Aaj mere ek mitra se baat ho rahi thi toh unhone kaha ki gend jitni upar jaani thi chali gai, ab neeche aa rahi hai. Neeche aane ki speed bhi badhti jaati hai, gend ke girne ke speed ko koi kam nahi kar sakta hai," (Today, I was speaking to a friend who said that the ball has reached its highest point and is now coming down. Its speed also keeps increasing as it comes down, and no one can slow down the speed at which the ball falls), Kishore, former MP, from Mohanlalganj in Lucknow, wrote on Tuesday. Though he did not name the BJP or any leader, the post immediately sparked speculation and discussions with several interpreting it as a political message. Reacting to his post, a social media user suggested that he might be contemplating switching parties, while another accused him of speaking out of frustration after having enjoyed ministerial position and prestige. Another user reminded Kishore that a ball could bounce back after hitting the ground and said the "ball" he was referring to was also known for "clean bowling". Within the BJP, some see the post as an expression of frustration over Kishore not getting a position either in the government or the party organisation since he lost the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Mohanlalganj. Others believe he could be seeking to exert pressure on the party ahead of the 2027 UP polls or preparing political ground for a different course. A recent controversy involving his wife and BJP MLA Jai Devi Kaushal is also being seen as one another possible backdrop to the speculation, though there is no indication that his post was prompted by that particular incident. On August 19, Jai Devi had alleged caste discrimination at a bhoomi pujan ceremony for renovation of the Sheetla Mata temple in Kakori, Lucknow. She claimed she was not allowed to sit during the puja or participate in rituals despite having helped secure around Rs 78 lakh for temple renovation. Kishore had supported his wife. The temple management, however, rebutted the charges. Kishore, meanwhile, sought to play down the political interpretation of his Tuesday's social media post while talking to HT over phone. He said it was not directed at the BJP and was instead a general observation applicable to all parties, organisations and individuals. "Any party, organisation or individual who drifts from their core values and issues that made them have to come to grief," he said while referring to what he described as the basic principle behind his comment. He added that he was invoking Newton's law of gravity to make his point. The Dalit leader also denied any rift with the BJP. "Neither am I angry with my party nor is my party angry with me," he said. "But I am an 'andolankari' by training and nature and will continue to be one," he added. A prominent Dalit leader with influence among the Pasi community in particular, Kishore is believed to be Lucknow MP and Union defence minister Rajnath Singh's protege. A leftist, Kishore joined the BJP in 2013 and rose to be a minister of state in the Modi government. As the UP assembly elections are just months away, political meanings are being attributed to his latest post though he himself insists that it was not directed at his party....