Mayawati wants UP divided into four new states

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Tuesday announced that the state Cabinet has decided in the favour of division of the state into four new states.

Addressing a press conference here, Mayawati said that the state government would formally move a motion for the same in the state Assembly when it meets on November 21.

She said that the state should be divided into four new four states – Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Awadh Pradesh and Paschim Pradesh.

Purvanchal comprises of 22 eastern districts of the state including Gorakhpur and Balia. The current capital Lucknow would fall in Awadh Pradesh which comprises of 14 districts.

Bundelkhand has seven districts including Jhansi, while Paschim Pradesh would have 22 districts comprising Meerut, Ghaziabad and Gutam Buddh Nagar among others.

Pitching strongly for the division of the state, Mayawati said that UP is the most populous state and for better development and administration, it is necessary that the state be reorganised into four different states.

However, she put the ball in Congress-led Central government's court saying that as per the Constitution it is the Parliament which has to pass a resolution approving the division of the state.