Ahead of UP Polls, old demands for smaller states may find new life

By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net

In the run up to 2017 assembly polls, the demand for division of Uttar Pradesh is once again gaining ground. With major parties as BSP, BJP and RLD being in favour of division of UP to smaller, and manageable states, the ruling Samajwadi Party has voiced its concern over the state’s division.


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The demand again gained momentum after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of several projects including a railway line which were recommended by Patel Commission for the eastern region of UP known as Poorvanchal.

Patel Commission was constituted specially for the development of eastern region of UP when in 1962 by Vishwanath Singh Gahmari, the MP from Ghazipur who presented a detailed report on the poverty and backwardness of Poorvanchal region of UP. Since then group of people in Poorvanchal have organized small functions raising the demand for separate statehood.

Different political parties, barring the SP, have supported the move to divide UP in smaller states citing better governance, development, high population and vast size of UP.

BSP supreme Mayawati is in favour of division of UP. In November 2011 when she was the Chief Minister of UP, a resolution was passed from Vidhan Sabha for division of state in four parts—Paschim Pradesh, Bundelkhand, Awadh and Poorvanchal. The resolution was sent to central government but no decision has been taken. BSP appears a clear-cut gainer in the situation of division of state as the party has more or less uniform support across UP. After division it will be extended to ‘several states’.

BJP too supports smaller states and its state president Keshav Maurya during the state executive meet of the party at Jhansi has passed a resolution in this regard. For BJP it will be an added advantage as it can easily make these states its stronghold with state parties getting reduced as it happened in Uttrakhand. It will be also helpful for BJP as aspirations of its leaders will be filled with their adjustment in new states.

Congress too does not want to go away from the main opposition parties and it still lives in bygone era claiming that such things were already proposed since Nehru regime. Since Congress has lost its ground in UP, it has nothing to lose from any such step.

Rashtriya Lok Dal owes its existence for demanding separate Harit Pradesh in western UP. RLD chief Ajit Singh is raising the demand since he joined politics. For him it will be God send opportunity as he mainly has support in few districts of UP.

Samajwadi Party is the only stiff opponent of the division of UP. It understands that it will finish its political significance. The reason being Mulayam’s community Yadav is not spread across whole UP. He manages to remain relevant with the support of Muslims. Once UP is divided, his base will shrink and so will be his political importance. Rising number of claimants in Yadav family for political posts too has pressure not to divide it any further. Presently it is hard to believe but Yadav family has five Lok Sabha and one Rajya member (total six MPs) which is more than the state of Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Mulayam has seen the result after Uttrakhand was separated from UP and SP vanished from the mountains. It is due to all these that in 1994 Mohan Singh had moved a private bill in support of division of state in UP but when he joined SP, he did not pursue it. Mulayam often says during meetings that “Muthi hai tou takat hai” (The power comes from the fist: unity).

Whatever be the result, division of state will be an issue and don’t be surprised if it figures in the manifesto of several political parties in UP.

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