A political credit tussle has emerged over the Noida International Airport project in Jewar, with BSP chief Mayawati asserting that the foundation of the project was laid during her tenure as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.
In a post on social media, Mayawati stated that while the airport’s first phase has now been inaugurated after a long delay, its blueprint and initial groundwork were initiated when her government was in power. She claimed that key preparatory steps had already been undertaken under the BSP administration.
Criticising the Congress, she alleged that the project could have been completed much earlier if the then central government had not created obstacles. She compared the situation to the Yamuna Expressway, suggesting that both projects were part of her government’s development vision but faced delays due to external interference.
Mayawati also targeted the Samajwadi Party (SP), accusing it of focusing more on reversing decisions taken by her government rather than continuing development work. She alleged that the SP government spent time on politically motivated actions, including renaming institutions and neglecting infrastructure and memorials built for leaders of the Bahujan community.
Appealing to the public, she urged people not to be influenced by rival parties and instead place their trust in the BSP’s governance model, which she described as focused on inclusive development under the principle of “Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay.”
She also raised broader regional demands, including the long-pending issue of establishing a separate High Court bench in western Uttar Pradesh and the demand for a separate state.
Her remarks come shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport’s first phase. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also claimed that his party played a crucial role in securing the necessary approvals for the project, stating that SP’s efforts helped bring the project to fruition.
The competing claims highlight an ongoing political narrative around ownership of major infrastructure projects in Uttar Pradesh, with multiple parties seeking to highlight their respective contributions.
