UP Assembly set to debate Maya's 4-state proposal; stormy session likely

Lucknow: A stormy session is likely in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly that convenes on Monday as it is set to take up Chief Minister Mayawati's proposal to divide the state into four. She has issued a whip to all party MLAs to attend the Assembly while the SP, BJP and Congress are set to oppose the move.

The UP Chief Minster's masterstroke has put her rivals in a quandary.

Coming a day after Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi threw his hat in UP's political arena, Mayawati, who had talked about trifurcation of the state earlier, came up with a plan to carve 4 states out of Uttar Pradesh.

If it were a country, Uttar Pradesh would be the 5th most populous country in the world. When Uttarakhand was carved out in 2000, the fear was that it may collapse, but despite political instability and 6 chief ministers in the last 11 years the state is telling a good story in terms of growth.

The annual growth rate of Uttarakhand has rocketed up at 10.8 per cent yearly, while the mother state Uttar Pradesh is far behind at 5.4 per cent.

Uttarakhand has tapped its vast hydro potential to become a seller of power to the northern grid.
UP split: Who gains, who loses.

Mayawati gains politically as her core constituency - Dalits - are evenly spread throughout the state.

Samajwadi Party's 8.7 per cent core Yadav vote is not uniform. One chunk is in Eastern UP and another in Etawah, Mainpuri and Etah belt.

RLD has been campaigning for Harit Pradesh in Western UP region. It is bound to gain there because of the dominant Jats.

The Congress like the BSP has influence in all regions, but it's far too thin, so no visible gain.

The BJP has influence in Eastern UP because of caste equation of Rajputs and Brahmins.

What does Mayawati's proposal of diving the state mean for Uttar Pradesh?

Purvanchal or Eastern UP will have 32 districts and home town of seven Prime Ministers of India, Allahabad could be its capital. The holy city of Varanasi or Gorakhpur have also been proposed.

Central UP or Awadh Pradesh, which is so far not in the demand list of any political party, will get 14 districts with the present capital Lucknow, city of nawabs as its proposed capital.

Harit Pradesh, comprising 22 districts in west UP has Meerut as its proposed capital.

Jhansi or Banda is the proposed capital of Bundelkhand, which has been the demand for the Congress party and it gets 7 districts.

If Mayawati's proposal were to become a reality, then no one knows what really will be the identifying points of the four new states.

Who stands where on the proposal to divide the state:

The ruling BSP government wants the state to be divided into four administrative units. The cabinet has already cleared the proposal.

The BJP has been calling it a political gimmick by Mayawati. It is against hastily splitting up the state. Seen fighting for the third place in the upcoming Assembly polls, the BJP is wants a State Reorganisation Commission.

Mulayam Singh's Samajwadi Party has vehemently opposed any division. It will vote against the resolution.

The Congress, too, has said that the decision must not to be taken with an eye on elections. It wants a second State Reorganisation Commission to be constituted.

The only party expected to support Mayawati's proposal is the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal. The party has been campaigning for the creation of Harit Pradesh and so, it will support the resolution.

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