BY MOHAMMAD TARIQUE SALEEM
Samajwadi Party president and MP Akhilesh Yadav didn’t mince words after the Yogi government presented its latest state budget. In his trademark blunt style, he declared it nothing less than a “farewell budget”, and not just for the document itself, but for the entire BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. Sitting in front of the cameras, Akhilesh looked straight at the reporters and said something that summed up his entire attack: “Ye budget is sarkar ka bidaai budget hai… aur iske saath BJP ki bhi bidaai pakki hai.” (This is the farewell budget of this government… and along with it, the BJP’s goodbye is certain.)
He didn’t waste time on polite criticism. According to him, the government loves to throw around huge numbers, nine lakh crore-plus budget, new schemes, expressways, airports, youth packages, but when you actually check how much money has really reached the ground, the picture looks very different. “Figures on paper are one thing,” he said, “but where is the actual spending?” He pointed out that several key departments, agriculture, basic education, health, rural development, have been consistently spending only 50 to 60 per cent of what was allocated. “They announce big amounts to make headlines,” he added, “but they can’t even spend what they promise. How can you talk about development when the money isn’t reaching the people?”
Farmers, he argued, are still waiting for real support as fertiliser and seed prices keep climbing. Government hospitals in small towns and villages remain short of doctors, medicines and equipment. Government schools still struggle with basic things like toilets, drinking water and teachers. Yet the budget speech was full of glossy announcements. Akhilesh also reminded everyone that this is the last full budget before the 2027 Assembly elections. In his view, the government knows its time is running out, so it is trying to create one final splash of big numbers and big promises.
“This isn’t development planning,” he said. “This is election optics. People have seen through it. They know the difference between announcements and actual work.” He ended with a confident prediction: the way this government has handled money, administration and people’s problems, the voters will give their answer in 2027. And according to Akhilesh, that answer is already written, it’s time for the BJP to pack up and leave. Whether his words turn into votes remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the battle for Uttar Pradesh has already begun, and the Samajwadi Party chief is wasting no time in setting the tone.
