Yogi focuses on dev, welfare, caste rainbow on road to 2027

rajesh.singh@htlive.com

The Uttar Pradesh budget for 2025-26 is guided by chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s push on the Sanatan Dharma, development and welfare fronts in the run-up to the 2027 assembly election.

Yogi invoked Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Sant Ravidas, Sant Kabir and Mata Shabari at the press conference after finance minister Suresh Kumar Khanna tabled the budget in the assembly, announcing the launch of various schemes in the name of Dalit icons. The aim was to send a message to the Dalits that the state government is committed to their empowerment.

After the 2024 Lok Sabha election setback, the BJP is working to regain lost ground by rebuilding a rainbow coalition of upper castes, OBCs and Dalits. Riding on the PDA (Pichda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak) formula, the SP breached the caste coalition that had led to the BJP’s victories in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls as well as in the 2017 and 2022 state assembly elections.

The party’s victory in recent assembly by-elections has infused fresh confidence into the BJP.

Yogi Adityanath announced that the 2025 budget will prepare the roadmap for the coming 25 years, a clear indication that the state government is gearing up for a massive push on development, welfare and the religion front with two years left for the 2027 assembly election.

The bypoll victories and the Prayagraj Mahakumbh have re-established Brand Yogi after Lok Sabha election setback.

The BJP highlighted the fact that it was the ninth consecutive budget, the biggest in UP’s history in terms of outlay, tabled in the state assembly under Yogi’s leadership.

The hiring of employees on outsourced basis in state government departments was an important political issue in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The SP- Congress alliance alleged that the BJP government had ignored reservation in recruitment of these employees leading to a backlash by OBC and Dalits in the election.

After the Lok Sabha elections, NDA allies including the Apna Dal (S), NISHAD party and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) demanded reservation in recruitment of employees on contract.

For his part, the chief minister has now announced an increase in remuneration of outsourced employees as well as constitution of the Uttar Pradesh Outsource Service Corporation to bring transparency in the recruitment of employees.

A major welfare initiative for the weaker section was announced in the budget wherein Ayushman Bharat health coverage will be provided to village chowkidars, shiksha mitras, Home Guards, sanitation workers, ASHA workers, anganwadi workers and ANM workers active in the state’s rural hinterland.

Demanding social security, they had launched protests before the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

The allocation of a sizeable ₹35,863 crore for the social welfare schemes run for OBCs and Schedule Castes also indicates the BJP government’s move to counter the PDA formula of the SP.

The chief minister also announced the launch of schemes named after Sardar Vallabhai Patel and Chaudhary Charan Singh, revered by the Kurmi and Jat communities, respectively.

Playing the religion card, the chief minister stated that faith and economy go hand in hand. Lauding the successful organisation of the Mahakumbh, he said the event has given a boost of ₹3.5 lakh crore to the UP economy.

To give a push to the Hindutva agenda, he announced the allocation of funds for the development of Hindu religious spots, including Ayodhya, Mathura, Vrindavan, Vindhyachal, Chitrakoot and Naimisharanya. He also announced allocation of ₹2,000 crore to maintain stray cows.

The budget also highlights that development and employment generation will be Yogi’s important plank for the 2027 assembly election. Uttar Pradesh is free from the BIMARU state tag, he said and added that now UP has emerged as a revenue surplus state. A new bench mark for development and governance has been set by the BJP government, he said.

The state government has allocated ₹28,478 crore for new development initiatives in infrastructure, energy, industry, urban development and civil aviation before the 2027 assembly election.