Mayawati welcomes Telangana, renews demand to divide UP into 4 states

Lucknow: Taking a cue from the Telangana statehood announcement, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has reiterated her demand of dividing Uttar Pradesh into four smaller states. Welcoming Telangana, Mayawati on Wednesday said, "We welcome this decision of making Telangana, the BSP always advocates smaller states and governance units."

Reiterating her demand for dividing Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati said that the Centre should take a decision on it soon. "It's been a long time since the BSP government sent a proposal to divide UP into four states. BSP demands that the Central government takes a decision on state reorganisation and forms four smaller states - Purvanchal (Eastern UP), Harit Pradesh (Western UP), Bundelkhand and Awadh Pradesh (Central UP)," Mayawati said.

She also urged the MPs from Uttar Pradesh to put pressure on the government to take a prompt decision on the state's division.

Mayawati's government had in November 2011 got a resolution passed in the state Assembly to divide Uttar Pradesh into four states. The Opposition had then called the passing of the resolution dictatorial.

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 as the capital city.

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.

Vidarbha, Gorkhaland statehood demands intensify too

As a fallout of the Telangana decision by the Congress, pro-Vidarbha activists have called for rallies in Delhi and Vidarbha region in Maharashtra on August 5. "I have sent a letter to the Congress President as it was her promise that whenever there is a consideration on Telangana, there will be a consideration on Vidarbha too. So, I just wanted to remind her that our demand is more genuine and an emotional one, said Vilas Muttemwar, a Congress leader from Nagpur.

Another uprising is on in the Darjeeling hills where the demand is to carve out a Gorkhaland from West Bengal. Gorkhaland activists are holding a 72-hour bandh during which angry street protests were witnessed in the region on Tuesday. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Chief Bimal Gurung has resigned as the head of the Gorkha territorial administration. The Morcha will be calling for an indefinite bandh in the hills from Saturday onwards. "I am resigning from the post of the chairman of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration because it wasn't allowed to fuction properly and there was a lot of government interference," Gurung said.

Targeting the Centre, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee again alleged it was trying to interfere in the affairs of the state through its agencies and reiterated that there was a conspiracy to dismiss her government, which was running well.

She wrote on her Facebook page, "Telangana cannot be compared with Darjeeling. When everything is settled, why Delhi is insisting to disrupt peaceful situation and play with fire? It is reported that Delhi has directed the GTA persons to go in for a separatist movement. Darjeeling is a part and parcel of our state. We are united and we will remain united. Any conspiracy hatched by a political party and Union Government will be defeated by the people of Darjeeling and West Bengal."

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/mayawati-welcomes-telangana-renews-demand-to-divide-up-into-4-states/410836-3-242.html