Chief Minister Mayawati took the lead by writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking the creation of Paschimanchal in western UP and Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal in eastern UP.

In her letter to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister said backwardness of these regions should be the main criteria for the creation of new states. Mayawati made particular mention of Poorvanchal which, she claimed, is the most backward region.

Political observers say Mayawati's game plan is to put the Congress under pressure and win over the forces fighting for separate states in these regions. It may be mentioned that the UPA Government has released a special package of Rs 7000 crore for the development of Bundelkhand.

She has also reiterated her earlier demand for Rs 80,000 crore for the development of Poorvanchal and Bundelkhand. The Chief Minister also promised to get a resolution passed in UP Assembly for the creation of Poorvanchal in consultation with the Centre as per the requirement under the Constitution.

But there are no takers for Mayawati's initiative for the creation of three more states in UP as most of the political parties have termed her move as a political gimmick.

Senior Congress leader and AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh said that a Second State Reorganisation Commission should deal with such demands. UPCC president Rita Bahuguna said her party was not against the creation of smaller states. She said efforts should have been made to involve everybody in the discussion to prepare the ground for the creation of new states.

Rita also supported the demand for the creation of a second state reorganisation commission as creation of Poorvanchal and Bundelkhand would also involve Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Mayawati's move, she said, was a political gimmick aimed at hiding the misrule of her government.

Senior BJP leader Dr Hriday Narain Dixit said the Mayawati government had become a 'chitti government' as she writes to the Prime Minister at the drop of a hat as it were. The BJP leader said the Mayawati government had done nothing at the ground level; that is why she is demanding funds from the Centre. Dixit further said that his party was also not against the creation of new states, and supported the demand for the creation of a second states reorganisation commission.

The Samajwadi Party, however, made it clear that it was not in favour of further division of UP. SP general secretary Amar Singh said trifurcation of UP would result in it losing the status of being the biggest state. SP Spokesman Rajendra Choudhry said trifurcation alone cannot solve the problems being faced by the common people. He said that good governance and corruption-free administration was required for the development in these regions.

Mayawati, however, received support from Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh who claimed that his party had already taken the initiative for the creation of Harit Pradesh in western UP and had launched a campaign for smaller states.

Senior political analyst Ramesh Dixit said the creation of a second state reorganisation commission was a must before looking into the demands for creation of three more states out of UP. Dr Dixit said the argument that the creation of smaller states was the only solution for the problems facing UP was not correct.

Another political expert said Mayawati's demand for trifurcation of UP was aimed at consolidating her party in these regions. Ever since the Centre agreed to release funds for Bundelkhand after Rahul Gandhi met the Prime Minister, Mayawati was looking for an opportunity to take on the Gandhi scion, he added. (IPA)