In a bid to outsmart rivals ahead of the Assembly elections, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Ms Mayawati, on Tuesday announced bringing a resolution in the House for carving out four new states in the winter session beginning next week.
Addressing a press conference here, she said that the State Cabinet had approved a resolution for creation of Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Awadh Pradesh and Paschim Pradesh, which would be tabled in the session beginning November 21.
Seeking to throw the ball into the Centre's court, where the Congress heads the United Progressive Alliance coalition, the Chief Minister maintained that as per Schedule 3 of the Constitution, the Centre had to take a decision with regard to renaming, reorganisation or creation of new states.
However, she said that as no positive initiative had been taken so far, the Cabinet had decided to get the resolution passed and send it to the Centre hoping for a speedy action on it.
The Chief Minister, who had earlier written a letter for reorganisation of the state to the Prime Minister maintaining that it was not in the jurisdiction of the State, on Tuesday said that this decision has been taken after proper consideration to mount pressure on the Centre.
This demand is also in keeping with the aspirations and ambitions of these regions, she said.
Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha MPs and an Assembly with 403 MLAs. Mayawati's move is seen as an attempt by her to cash in on the sentiments in favour of small states in the Western and Eastern regions and the Bundelkhand area of the state during the Assembly elections.