With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections less than six months away, welfare politics is hotting up in the crucial heartland state, with the ruling BJP and the Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) and the BSP vying to reach out to youth and women voters.On Tuesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said his government would give appointment letters to one lakh young people in six months.AdvertisementAddressing a gathering, Adityanath also claimed to have provided government jobs to more than 9.30 lakh youth during the BJP’s nine years in office.The CM’s announcement has come against a backdrop of discontent among sections of students and youth over alleged irregularities in various examination and recruitment processes, which have resulted in protests in different states in recent days – from Jantar Mantar to Jharkhand to Bihar.Such protests were also seen in UP – in Prayagraj in May and in Lucknow in June – against various alleged irregularities in the police and lekhpal recruitment exams and NEET paper leak.AdvertisementMust Read | Rs 800 crore spent, still unfinished: Why Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘pet project’ in Lucknow is going privateCountering Adityanath, BSP chief and ex-CM Mayawati questioned the timing of his announcement, saying that while providing government jobs was a correct step, it could be an “electoral manoeuvre” ahead of the Assembly polls.She also flagged the backlog of reserved vacancies and the continuing protests by 6,800 candidates from reserved categories over the recruitment of 69,000 teachers.Defending the CM, the BJP said his pledge to ensure one lakh government jobs should be viewed against the party-led government’s track record of providing employment to youth in the state.The BJP dispensation has also sought to broaden its youth pitch beyond government jobs, pointing to startups, skills and investment, with Adityanath holding that UP now has over 24,000 startup platforms for young people.The youth and Gen Z account for a significant chunk of UP’s population. The final electoral roll of UP, published by the Election Commission (EC) on April 10, 2026 following the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise, puts the state’s electorate at 13.39 crore. As per the EC, there are 17.63 lakh voters aged just 18-19 years.Sops for womenA day after announcing jobs for youth, Adityanath launched Lokmata Ahilyabai Matrushakti Yatra Yojana to provide free travels on state buses to women aged 60 and above. On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, women will also get free bus travels with one co-passenger during 27-29 August.Also Read | UP’s 25-crore population is an advantage, not a challenge: CM Yogi AdityanathThe scheme fits into the BJP’s broader women-centric narrative around welfare, mobility and safety, including Mission Shakti – meant for women’s safety and empowerment – and the 1090 women’s helpline.The Opposition’s response came immediately, with SP president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday reiterating his party’s proposal to bring Stree Samman Samriddhi Yojana – under which Rs 40,000 would be given annually to every underprivileged and vulnerable woman in UP – in the event of its coming to power in the state in 2027.Akhilesh asserted that his PDA (Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak) plank would reaffirm the SP’s commitment to this scheme for “half the population”, adding that the objective was to empower women socially and strengthen them economically.The SP’s proposals also include laptops and bicycles for girl students, free travels for women on government buses, housing, ambulance services and legal aid.These announcements were made by Akhilesh at an event which featured the party’s women leaders, MPs and MLAs on the stage, including his wife and MP Dimple Yadav.Currently, there are 6.09 crore women voters in UP, accounting for 45.46% of its total electorate. This makes women one of the most crucial constituencies in the state, explaining the flurry of BJP’s welfare proposals for them followed by the SP’s promises in the run-up to the 2027 elections.On her part, Mayawati argued that beyond ensuring free travels for elderly women, governments needed the “right intent and policy” to protect women from exploitation and atrocities, while ensuring their safety, dignity and self-reliance.She accused the Adityanath government of giving women “insecurity, neglect and humiliation”, alleging that the BJP treated women as little more than a subject for its slogans.Pre-poll battlegroundA slew of the government’s proposals and the Opposition’s counter-announcements indicate that the 2027 battle is headed for a familiar but more intense face-off over welfare politics.The BJP has been projecting its delivery narrative – nearly a decade in office, over 9.30 lakh government appointments, women-focused welfare and safety schemes, and an expanding startup ecosystem.The SP has been building a counter-narrative centred on welfare and empowerment for the PDA groups, including women and youth.On the other hand, the BSP is stressing on the need to look beyond just welfare sops, insisting that they could not substitute for employment, reservation, safety and dignity.The race is clearly intensifying among the leading contenders of the 2027 polls as to which party could stake stronger claims on the support of two most crucial constituencies – youth and women.