Lower GDP forecast: Mayawati urges Centre to focus on public welfare, shun 'narrow politics’

New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Wednesday urged the Centre to prioritise national and public welfare over "narrow politics”, after the government revised downwards the GDP growth estimate for the current fiscal.

Her remarks came at a time when the Indian rupee has hit a record low of 85.83 against the US dollar, and the GDP growth rate is forecast to drop to 6.4 per cent for 2024-25, the lowest in four years.

"The GDP growth rate is expected to fall to 6.4 per cent. Most newspapers highlighted this as their top news today. The ones who are truly saddened by this are the country's poor and hardworking population, who, despite their tough lives, are not ready to hear any harm coming to their nation," Mayawati said in a post on X.

"The poor may not have a direct connection with the falling value of rupee in the global market, yet they are unhappy about it. The government must respect their emotions, and, setting aside its 24-hour narrow politics, focus on public and national welfare to fulfil their hopes for 'Achhe Din'," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added.

On Wednesday morning, rupee depreciated to a record low of 85.83 against the US dollar. On Tuesday, the government estimated the country's GDP growth rate for 2024-25 at 6.4 per cent, marking a four-year low, primarily attributed to underperformance in the manufacturing and services sectors.

It is the slowest growth since the Covid pandemic year of 2020-21, when GDP recorded a negative growth of 5.8 per cent, significantly lower than the 8.2 per cent achieved in FY 2023-24.

Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, which suffered setbacks in Lok Sabha and state elections in Uttar Pradesh of late, is not aligned with either the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, or its rival I.N.D.I.A. bloc.