Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 27 : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday welcomed the Uttar Pradesh government's announcement to provide government jobs to one lakh youth over the next six months, while questioning the timing of the move ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
In a post on X, Mayawati said the decision was "belated" but correct, while suggesting that its timing made it appear to be an electoral manoeuvre.
She said the government must ensure that the recruitment process is completed on time and remains free from paper leaks, corruption and other irregularities.
"The announcement by the Uttar Pradesh government to provide government jobs to one lakh youth in the next six months (i.e., until the assembly general elections) was, although taken belatedly, a correct step, yet it seems more like an electoral maneuver," Mayawati said.
She added that timely and transparent appointments would be necessary to ensure that the announcement did not become "mere electoral deception."
The BSP chief also raised the issue of the backlog of reserved government posts for SC, ST and OBC communities, saying people were awaiting a government announcement on filling those vacancies.
Mayawati further referred to the long-running dispute surrounding the recruitment of 69,000 assistant teachers in Uttar Pradesh. She said around 6,800 candidates from reserved categories had been continuously protesting over appointments and reservation-related issues.
"The government must certainly think about them with full empathy, because only the government can provide them real relief," she said.
The issue has remained contentious for years. In 2024, the Allahabad High Court ordered the preparation of a fresh selection list for the 69,000 assistant-teacher recruitment after setting aside earlier selection lists, including the list involving 6,800 candidates.
The issue has continued to generate protests in 2026, with candidates seeking appointment and action on their demands.
Mayawati also turned her attention to school education, saying the BSP had repeatedly demanded reforms in the education sector.
She said that if the government's recent efforts were genuinely aimed at improving education, authorities should also consider reopening the approximately 30,000 government schools that she said had been closed in the state.
"If the government immediately arranges to reactivate in a proper manner the approximately 30,000 government schools that have been closed here, that too would be in the public interest," she said.
The BSP chief also stressed the need for stronger measures for women's safety, dignity and self-reliance. While referring to measures such as free bus travel for elderly women, she said governments should focus more broadly on protecting women from exploitation, atrocities and harassment.
Her remarks came two days after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced appointment letters would be given to one lakh youth within six months. The Chief Minister said the government had provided jobs to more than 9.30 lakh youth over the last nine years and that the latest recruitment process was already underway.
Mayawati's response thus combined support for the government's employment announcement with demands for transparency in recruitment, implementation of reservation provisions, resolution of the pending teacher recruitment issue and wider reforms in school education and women's welfare.