UP to be divided into 4, Purvanchal to get Rajbhar Chief Minister: Minister’s big claim - The Indian Express
Uttar Pradesh Minister and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar has claimed that the state will be divided into four parts soon, and that the Purvanchal region will get a “Rajbhar Chief Minister”.
Addressing a public meeting in Ambedkarnagar district on Sunday, Rajbhar referred to his “conversation” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed the PM “assured” him that the division of the state could happen after the caste census.
“Once the caste census is completed, there will be no problem in carrying out the division. We will divide the state after the caste census. This is what the Prime Minister of the country said,” Rajbhar, whose party is currently allied with the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, claimed.
“Aane wale dinon mein Pradesh ka chaar bhagon mein batwara hoga. Jis din Purvanchal raj alag hoga, sabse pehle Mukhyamantri koi hoga to Rajbhar ka beta Mukhyamantri Purvanchal ka hoga (In the coming days, the state is going to be divided into four parts. The day a separate Purvanchal state is created, the first Chief Minister will be a son of the Rajbhar community),” he said.
He also named the four proposed regions: “Jab Pradesh ka batwara hoga to Purvanchal, Madhyanchal, Bundelkhand, Harit Pradesh. Purvanchal mein sabse jyada vote Rajbhar jati hai. Is nate, Purvanchal ka pehla CM Rajbhar hoga (When the state is divided, there will be Purvanchal, Madhyanchal, Bundelkhand and Harit Pradesh. The Rajbhar community has the largest vote base in Purvanchal. Therefore, Purvanchal’s first Chief Minister will be a Rajbhar).”
Rajbhar’s claims, before the 2027 Assembly elections, has revived demands for the division of the state that’s been raised several times in the past.
The 403-Assembly seat Uttar Pradesh is broadly categorised politically and culturally into four regions — Pashchim, Central, Bundelkhand and Purvanchal. Regional outfits have campaigned for separate states of Bundelkhand and Purvanchal, citing factors including the distance from the state headquarters and issues specific to the regions.
A formal step in this direction was taken in 2011, during the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government led by Mayawati. The state Assembly passed a proposal to divide Uttar Pradesh into four parts, but it did not receive approval from the Central Government.
Maulshree Seth is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, based in Lucknow. With over 15 years of experience in mainstream journalism, she has built a formidable reputation for her on-ground reporting across Uttar Pradesh. Her expertise spans a wide array of critical beats, including state politics, governance, the judiciary, and rural development. Authoritativeness Maulshree’s work is characterized by depth and historical context. Her coverage of high-stakes state elections and landmark judicial rulings has established her as an authoritative voice on the intersection of law and politics in Northern India. She is frequently recognized for her ability to gain access to primary sources and for her nuanced understanding of the socio-economic factors that drive the world's most populous sub-national entity. Trustworthiness & Ethical Journalism Her reporting is rooted in rigorous fact-checking and a steadfast dedication to neutral, unbiased storytelling. By prioritizing field-based verification—often traveling to the most remote corners of the state—she ensures that her readers receive a truthful and comprehensive view of events. ... Read More
