'Believe in unity, not division': Yogi Adityanath dismisses possibility of splitting Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday virtually ruled out any plan for the division of the state, saying his government believes in uniting and not dividing.

During the BSP rule with Mayawati at the helm, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly had in 2011 passed a proposal for a four-way split of the state.

The proposal was to divide Uttar Pradesh into Bundelkhand, Purvanchal, Awadh Pradesh and Paschim Pradesh.

Adityanath on Monday said, "The people of Uttar Pradesh are proud of their history and the state has its own importance in the country. We believe in uniting not dividing."

He said the state government has given special attention on development of the state's eastern parts and the Bundelkhand region.

"With an aim to usher economic development in these two regions, the BJP government has been building Purvanchal expressway and Bundelkhand expressway. The two expressways will become the backbones of development in these areas," the chief minister told reporters at his residence.

Adityanath claimed that the state government has created an investor-friendly environment in Uttar Pradesh, which has yielded positive results for the state.

For ensuring inclusive development of the state, the BJP government has started one-district-one product scheme which is transforming the lives of the poor and the backward people in the state, he added.