Akhilesh promises waiting lists in all UPSSSC recruitments if SP returns to power

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday promised to introduce a waiting-list system in all recruitments conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) if his party forms the next government, throwing his weight behind a demand that has brought job aspirants into protest.

Yadav said the proposed mechanism would allow vacancies created when selected candidates do not join or subsequently leave a post to be offered to other eligible candidates instead of remaining unfilled. Calling the demand justified, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said such a system could benefit lakhs of aspirants and pledged to implement it if the SP returns to power in the Assembly election due early next year.

Promise to aspirants

“We are committed to fulfilling this demand when we form the new government,” Yadav said in a statement issued by the party.

UPSSSC aspirants have been demanding waiting lists across recruitment exercises, arguing that vacancies frequently remain when selected candidates either do not join or move to other jobs. Under the system sought by them, candidates immediately below the selection cut-off could be considered against such vacancies within prescribed rules and validity periods.

Yadav said it was unfortunate that the “immense energy” of young men and women was being spent pursuing employment and pressing authorities over recruitment issues instead of contributing to other areas of nation-building.

“We add our voice to that of all UPSSSC aspirants and stand with you in support of all your demands, under every circumstance, and will always stand with you,” he said.

The promise places the issue of government recruitment firmly in the emerging electoral contest in Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP has been in power under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath since 2017.

Jobs enter poll pitch

Yadav used the demand to attack the BJP government over employment, alleging that providing jobs was not on its agenda. He claimed that introducing waiting lists could help lakhs of candidates while reducing what he described as the BJP’s “maha-berozgari”, or mass unemployment, record.

The BJP government has separately highlighted recruitment drives, government appointments, investment and employment generation as part of its record in Uttar Pradesh. Yadav’s remarks, however, seek to turn recruitment procedures and the concerns of aspirants into a prominent campaign issue ahead of the polls.

The SP chief said candidates had spent years struggling to secure employment and accused the government of failing to respond adequately to their concerns.

“After struggling for so many years, you have seen that nothing except pain can be obtained from the insensitive and heartless BJP,” Yadav said.

Waiting-list demand

A waiting list typically allows a recruiting authority to fill a post from the next eligible candidate when someone originally selected does not join, resigns within the permitted period or otherwise leaves the vacancy open. The exact operation of such lists depends on the recruitment rules governing individual examinations and posts.

Aspirants supporting a uniform UPSSSC waiting-list mechanism argue that it could prevent advertised posts from going vacant after lengthy examination and selection processes.

Yadav said the demand was reasonable because when one selected candidate vacates a seat, another qualified aspirant should have an opportunity to fill it rather than requiring the vacancy to await another recruitment cycle.

The issue has gained greater political attention as aspirants continue to press the state government for changes to recruitment procedures.

PDA pitch widened

Yadav also sought to bring the protesting job aspirants within the SP’s broader PDA political formulation — Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak, referring