UP split not a poll stunt: Mayawati
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati today denied any political motive behind the assembly resolution calling for a four-way division of the state.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati Monday denied any political motive behind the assembly resolution calling for a four-way division of the state.
"There is no political agenda behind the resolution to divide the state into four states," Mayawati said at a press conference shortly after the resolution was passed amid slogan shouting in the house.
"I have been advocating for division of this huge state into four states right from the time my government was formed in 2007, so where is the question of any poll stunt?
"We will now forward this resolution to the centre and it is now for them to get an approval of the parliament to see that Uttar Pradesh is divided into four smaller states in the larger interest of the people," she added.
Tabling the resolution in the assembly earlier, Mayawati quickly read out a brief statement seeking the division of Uttar Pradesh into four states - Purvanchal, Paschim Pradesh, Avadh Pradesh and Bundelkhand - and within the next two minutes, the speaker declared it passed by a voice vote, which remained inaudible in the din and noise in the house.
The move comes just ahead of the state elections in 2012.
Hitting back at the opposition parties who created uproar throughout the house proceedings, she said: "The opposition was trying to kick up its campaign on a false premise that my government was in a minority."
"The fact that the house also passed the vote-on-account was sufficient proof to establish that my government enjoys full support and majority in the house," Mayawati added.