Akhilesh Yadav criticizes UP's Maha Kumbh job model

In a pointed critique of the Uttar Pradesh government's employment initiatives, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the sustainability of job opportunities created during the Maha Kumbh.

Yadav sarcastically asked if the four lakh youths employed as motorcycle riders to assist devotees during the religious event would have to wait 144 years, until the next full-cycle Maha Kumbh, for similar employment opportunities.

The former Chief Minister's remarks, made during a media interaction in Mahoba, highlighted what he sees as the state's failure to create long-term job prospects, relying instead on temporary employment schemes.

Yadav further alleged that hundreds of attendees remain unaccounted for following the Maha Kumbh, suggesting negligence in handling the event's logistics.

"Around 900 people are still reported missing according to government data, with posters seeking information about them still displayed around Prayagraj, notably outside police stations and hospitals," he noted.

Turning his attention to future political contests, Yadav predicted a significant defeat for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

According to him, the BJP continues to grapple with their losses in the Lok Sabha elections and faces a united front from the 'PDA samaj'—a coalition Yadav aims to cement among Pichhda (backwards), Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (Muslim) communities.

He expressed concerns that the BJP might employ an "80:20" strategy to fragment the 'PDA' alliance, attempting to drive a wedge between these communities.

Despite the Uttar Pradesh government's praise of the Maha Kumbh as a logistical success, opposition leaders like Yadav argue that significant issues remain, calling attention to alleged mismanagement and unresolved problems faced by attendees at one of the world's most attended religious gatherings.