UP Chief Minister Mayawati's decision to bring a resolution in the coming Assembly session for creation of four new states appears to have caught her political opponents by surprise ahead of the polls.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's decision to bring a resolution in the coming Assembly session for creation of four new states appears to have caught her political opponents by surprise ahead of the polls.
Samajwadi Party, BJP, Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal, which favours Harit Pradesh, fear that BSP might gain political mileage out of the division.
The main opposition Samajwadi Party which has always been clearly against any division of Uttar Pradesh on the ground that it would undermine the political authority of the largest state, fears that now it would have to take a stand in the Assembly that could go against the wishes of people of areas falling under Purvanchal, Pachimanchal and Bundelkhand.
"It is a political conspiracy and Samajwadi Party would oppose it both in the legislature as well as outside," Leader of Opposition in UP Assembly Shivpal Singh Yadav said.
The Samajwadi Party would not accept this proposal and would see to it that there was no further division of the state, he said.
"The timing, at the fag end of her tenure, of bringing the proposal proves her lack of sincerity and people would have to see that BSP has never had a clear view on smaller states but for writing letters to the prime minister and today's move is nothing but a political drama," SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said.
The SP leaders, however, realise that the likes of its former general secretary Amar Singh who had recently taken out yatras for separate Purvanchal would grab the chance to capitalise on the situation.
The president of All India Kshetriya Mahasabha, Harvansh Singh, who had also been joined by Amar Singh in the earlier stages and took out 'Purvanchal vikas yatra' recently, has already warned the SP against opposing the move in the Assembly or else "it would be eradicated from Purvanchal".
The RLD, which has been raising the demand for a Pachimanchal state since long with its leader Ajit Singh brinGing all small organisations demanding separate states under one umbrella, also sees in it a political design.
RLD spokesman Anil Dubey said that they are aware that Mayawati's intentions are "not noble" but still his party would support the proposal in Vidhan Sabha.
"This is mere political manoeuvring on her part but we had been demanding it since long and so would back it," Dubey said.
The BJP, which had been a supporter of smaller states, faces a piquant situation as it appears to be divided whether to support the proposal or not.
Former BJP president Rajnath Singh and national Vice President Kalraj Misra, during their jan swabhiman yatras, had been attacking Mayawati's "stunts and dramas" on the issue of smaller states but they find themselves in a spot now as they can also not cleary oppose the move.
"We are against reorganisation of the state in such a hurry without evaluating the details such as resources, revenue and other aspects," Misra said, adding that the fact that the move would also affect neighbouring states like Bihar and Madhya Pradesh has to be considered as otherwise it would lead to further imbalance.
Though Mishra said that the party cannot support the move of hurried division of the state, state unit president Surya Pratap Shahi appeared confused leaving it to the legislature party to take a stand in the house.
The BJP wants setting up of a reorganisation committee which could give proper consideration to all aspects and bring the areas of neighbouring states having similar culture, topography among others together.
The Congress, which had till now taken a stand that the state legislature has to send a proposal for division, would now have to take a clear stand.
The view of the central government would determine the Congress' fortunes in areas such as Bundelkhand and western and eastern districts where its general secretary Rahul Gandhi had been touring extensively for the past several months now to prepare ground.
Congress legislature party leader Pramod Tewari is, however, adopting a wait and watch strategy, stressing that the contents of the proposal would have to be seen. "We also want that the proposal of setting up state reorganisation be included," he said.
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