Thaindian News

New Delhi/Lucknow, Nov 15 (IANS) Major political parties have described the Uttar Pradesh cabinet’s decision to divide the state into four as a political stunt aimed at the coming assembly elections.

The Congress party said the proposal of division was a very sensitive issue and any decision should be taken only after wide-ranging consultations.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it had been championing the cause of smaller states, but Chief Minister Mayawati’s announcement Tuesday was just an “eyewash to befool people on the eve of the polls”.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said his party will oppose the division of the state. He alleged that Mayawati was making the announcement as she had become nervous of “defeat in the coming polls staring at her”.

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet Tuesday decided to divide the state into four: Purvanchal, Pashchim Pradesh, Bundelkhand and Awadh Pradesh.

Congress chief spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi said in New Delhi that Congress does not approve any decision on an important issue “with electoral gains and short-term political gains”.

“Uttar Pradesh has an important position in the history and geography of the country. Any decision should be taken only after due deliberations and serious discussions,” he added.

Union Minister of State for Petroleum R.P.N. Singh said it was a political stunt. “Anyway a major decision to divide the state cannot be taken by just one political entity. It needs a political consensus and approval of parliament,” he pointed out.

Uttar Pradesh state Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi too slammed the move.

“We have never been against creation of new states; in fact, the Congress party was responsible for creation of as many as 11 new states over the years. But it cannot be done in an unplanned and haphazard manner as is being attempted by Mayawati,” Joshi said at a press conference in Lucknow.

BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain asked why Mayawati remembered dividing the state after four-and-a-half years of her rule.

“Elections have come and Mayawati remembered upper castes after four-and-a half years, she also remembered division of the state,” Hussain told reporters in New Delhi.

He said that even though his party was in favour of smaller states, it was not in favour of poll stunts.

Samajwadi Party’s state unit president Akhilesh Yadav said the Mayawati government’s step would neither lead to better development or better administration.

Addressing reporters in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, he added: “The division of the state will not solve any purpose related to development.”

Mulayam Singh Yadav, father of Akhilesh, told a TV channel that the party would oppose the decision.

He alleged that Mayawati was “trying to deviate attention of the people from her failures of poor governance and corruption”.

However, Rashtriya Lok Manch chief Amar Singh - who has parted ways with Mulayam Singh - said he did not understand why the SP was opposing the division.

While Mayawati had earlier written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue, her cabinet took a formal decision to take it up as a resolution in the state assembly during the winter session beginning Nov 21.

“We will get a resolution passed by the assembly to divide the state into four smaller states during the coming winter session to be opened on Nov 21,” Mayawati said at a press conference in Lucknow.

After the resolution is passed by the assembly, it would be sent to the central government that would be required to table it before parliament where it would have to be passed, Mayawati said.