By With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching, the Yogi Adityanath government is increasingly putting its governance record at the centre of its political narrative, highlighting development projects, infrastructure expansion, welfare schemes and its approach to law and order. In power since March 2017, the government has stepped up its outreach across districts while placing particular emphasis on young people, women and the state’s rural population.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has repeatedly highlighted what he describes as a zero-tolerance approach towards crime and criminals, alongside an infrastructure push built around expressways and other major connectivity projects. At the same time, the government is pitching a new youth policy focused on skills, innovation and employment, with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, semiconductors and robotics also finding a place in its development agenda.
Youth and women emerge as key focus
The government has already distributed smartphones and tablets to young people under the Swami Vivekanand Youth Empowerment Scheme. It is now planning to distribute 50,000 scooters under the Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana.
The focus on welfare has also continued through the state’s budgetary allocations. The Yogi government presented a supplementary budget of around ₹59,000 crore as well as an annual budget of ₹9.12 lakh crore for 2026-27. Several measures announced alongside these allocations are aimed at improving access to services for people in rural areas, particularly women and young people.
The government has also made provisions for free bus travel for women aged 60 and above.
Professor SK Dwivedi, former head of the Department of Political Science at Lucknow University, said the timing of several announcements should be viewed in the context of the upcoming election.
“Whatever announcement the Yogi government and political parties are making now is obviously part of poll preparations,” Dwivedi said, adding that young and women voters constitute a significant section of the electorate. He said the actual electoral impact of these announcements would become clear only after the 2027 polls.
The BJP, however, rejects the suggestion that the measures are simply election-oriented outreach.
Uttar Pradesh BJP vice-president and MLC Vijay Pathak said welfare initiatives announced close to an election should not automatically be interpreted as attempts to attract particular voter groups. He argued that the Yogi government had continued implementing schemes throughout both its first and second terms.
Women workers and village services in focus
The state government has increased the honorarium of nearly 3.54 lakh cooks working under the mid-day meal programme, now known as the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme. Around 93% of these workers are women.
The cabinet has also approved a scheme aimed at making it easier to establish Common Service Centres at the village panchayat level. The move is expected to strengthen access to various public services in rural areas.
Together, these measures form part of the government’s broader pitch around welfare delivery and expanding services beyond urban centres.
Expressway expansion remains a major development plank
Road connectivity continues to be another prominent part of the government’s development agenda.
The state is moving ahead with extending the six-lane Ganga Expressway, which can be expanded to eight lanes, from Meerut to Haridwar in Uttarakhand. The project has an estimated cost of ₹10,761 crore.
The government is also pursuing the Jhansi Link Expressway, estimated to cost ₹7,968.30 crore.
Two more major projects are in the pipeline. The proposed greenfield Vindhya Expressway will connect Prayagraj with Sonbhadra over 333 km. Designed as a six-lane road expandable to eight lanes, the project has an estimated cost of ₹26,315 crore.
Another proposed project, the 117-km Vindhya-Purvanchal Super Link Expressway, is also planned as a six-lane corridor expandable to eight lanes. Estimated at ₹9,041 crore, it is expected to connect Ghazipur, Mirzapur and Chandauli.
The government’s emphasis on large-scale road infrastructure is intended to strengthen connectivity while supporting economic activity across different regions of the state.
Law and order remains central to Yogi’s governance pitch
Alongside development and welfare, law and order continues to be one of the defining themes of the Yogi government’s political messaging.
The administration’s tough stance on crime has also become part of its broader political identity, with the government frequently highlighting its action against criminals and its stated zero-tolerance policy.
Yogi recently brought the government’s well-known “bulldozer” imagery into a lighter conversation with artists. In a humorous remark, he said that while he may not be able to sing, his government could certainly make use of bulldozers.
As the 2027 election approaches, the government is therefore presenting a combination of infrastructure development, welfare delivery, technological ambitions and law-and-order measures as its record of governance. Whether this mix translates into electoral support will ultimately be decided by voters when Uttar Pradesh goes to the polls.
