Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday, 27 August welcomed the Uttar Pradesh government's announcement to provide government jobs to one lakh youths within the next six months, calling it a belated but correct step — while sharply questioning its timing ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

Mayawati's Qualified Welcome

Posting on social media platform X, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister acknowledged the announcement but stopped well short of endorsing it. She described the move as an 'electoral manoeuvre' timed to coincide with the pre-election period, and warned that it must not become 'mere electoral deception.'

'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; nevertheless, if these appointments are completed on time, free from the curses of paper leaks, corruption, and the like, it will be right, so that this does not turn out to be mere electoral deception,' she said in the post.

Reservation Backlog and the 69,000-Teacher Dispute

Mayawati raised the unresolved backlog of reserved posts for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), saying people were eagerly awaiting a recruitment announcement to fill those vacancies.

She also drew attention to the ongoing protests linked to the recruitment of 69,000 teachers in Uttar Pradesh, where approximately 6,800 candidates from reserved categories have been demonstrating over reservation rule violations and pending appointments. 'Here, in the recruitment of 69,000 teachers, 6,800 candidates from these categories have been continuously protesting, hungry and thirsty, for their appointments over issues related to reservation rules,' she said. She urged the government to address their grievances with empathy, stating that only the government could provide real relief.

School Education and Women's Safety

The BSP chief also flagged the state of school education in Uttar Pradesh and across the country, reiterating her party's longstanding demand for systemic reforms. She called on the government to reactivate approximately 30,000 government schools that have reportedly been shut, arguing that doing so would serve the public interest.

On women's issues, Mayawati said governments needed to move beyond token welfare measures such as free bus travel for elderly women, and instead work with genuine intent to protect women from exploitation, atrocities, and harassment across all fields — while ensuring their safety, dignity, and economic self-reliance.

BSP to Contest Alone in UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand

This comes amid a broader strategic announcement by the BSP. On Tuesday, Mayawati confirmed that the party would contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand independently, ruling out any electoral alliance. The decision followed a review of the BSP's organisational position and support base in Punjab. She directed party workers and office-bearers to intensify election preparations and work towards a stronger electoral performance.

With Assembly elections approaching, the BSP's posture — contesting solo while simultaneously criticising the ruling dispensation's job announcement — signals a clear attempt to reclaim its core constituency of SC, ST, and OBC voters on employment and education grounds.