UP budget lacks emphasis on public welfare, basic needs of common man: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Thursday criticized Uttar Pradesh's budget for the financial year 2025-26 and said it lacked emphasis on public welfare such as inflation, poverty, unemployment and the basic needs of the common man.

In a series of posts on 'X', Mayawati said, "If the budget had been more about the wider public interest and public welfare, it would have been better. There is a clear lack of adequate government intention and policy towards eliminating inflation, poverty, unemployment and backwardness. How is true development possible?" The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister criticized the budget presented by Yogi Adityanath government as being more focused on appeasing the well-off middle class rather than addressing the needs of the broader population.

Mayawati said the core responsibility of any government should be to fulfil the objectives of "Sarvajan Hitaya" (welfare of all) and "Sarvajan Sukhaya" (happiness for all) by tackling poverty and improving the living conditions of millions of families in the state.

"The real concern and constitutional responsibility of governments should be to remove poverty from the lives of crores of families, bringing them happiness and peace. It is a matter of concern that this is not happening," she added in her post.