Purvanchal state should be carved out of UP: Athawale

Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Sunday said Purvanchal should be made a separate state with Varanasi as its capital.

Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Sunday said Purvanchal should be made a separate state with Varanasi as its capital.

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He further said his party, Republican Party of India, will submit a memorandum to union home minister Amit Shah and speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the same.

“Uttar Pradesh is the biggest state of the country. It has 80 parliamentary seats and 403 assembly seats. Its capital is Lucknow, but many people find it difficult to visit Lucknow. Therefore, Purvanchal should be created for the convenience of the people, and Banaras (Varanasi) should be its capital,” Athawale said at a press conference here on Sunday.

Athawale further said his party would contest the assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana in alliance with the BJP and the Shiv Sena. He had spoken to the two parties regarding the same, he added.

Athawale said a massive membership drive would be launched to strengthen his party across UP.

Many people from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) were in touch with him and wanted to join the party because BSP chief Mayawati only claimed to be pro-Dalit, but she was not, he said.