Mayawati Urges Gen Z to Stay Away from BJP, Congress Over Youth Issues

BSP supremo Mayawati on Tuesday urged students and Gen Z voters to keep their distance from both the BJP and Congress, alleging that neither party is serious about addressing the concerns of young people.

Addressing select media in Lucknow, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said students and youth were increasingly worried about issues affecting their education, employment and future. She asserted that the Bahujan Samaj Party remained “serious and sensitive” towards resolving these concerns.

Mayawati alleged that both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress were attempting to politically appropriate youth protests and use them to serve their own interests.

Referring to the recent student protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, she claimed the agitation was initially launched by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), but was later “hijacked” by the Congress and its allies.

She also pointed to a similar development in Ranchi, where students and young people were protesting over their concerns. According to Mayawati, the movement was subsequently taken over by the BJP and its allies.

“Delhi's Jantar Mantar student and youth movement and now the movement in Ranchi... we are seeing more politics in their garb,” she said, alleging that political parties were failing to demonstrate genuine seriousness about resolving youth-related problems.

Mayawati appealed to Gen Z to remain cautious and avoid becoming part of what she described as “conspiracies” by both the ruling and opposition camps.

She urged young people to use political parties carefully and press them to address their demands, rather than allowing their protests to be exploited for electoral gains.

The BSP chief’s remarks come amid growing political attention around youth-led protests and their demands. Her appeal sought to position the BSP as a party that, she said, would focus on youth concerns rather than using student movements for political advantage.

By targeting both the BJP and Congress, Mayawati sought to draw a clear distinction between youth issues and what she described as the electoral interests of major political parties.