SBSP chief Rajbhar’s claim on UP division sparks fresh debate as opposition hits out at NDA

Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar. File | Photo credit: ANI

Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar claimed on Monday (September 21, 2026) that UP will soon be divided into four parts and the Purvanchal region will get a chief minister from the Rajbhar caste; this claim brought a new focus on demands for the division of the state.

While the BJP played down the issue, the Congress hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for double-speak as Mr. Rajbhar mentioned his conversation with the Prime Minister about the bifurcation of the state.

“Once the caste census is completed, there will be no problem in partitioning. After the caste census, we will divide the state. That is what the Prime Minister of the country has said,” said Mr. Rajbhar, a partner of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh at a public meeting in Ambedkarnagar district, saying that Mr. Modi and his state dialogue would happen after the caste census.

Mr. Rajbhar further added, “The day a separate state of Purvanchal is formed, the son of the Rajbhar community will be the first chief minister. When the state is bifurcated, there will be Purvanchal, Madhyanchal, Bundelkhand and Harit Pradesh. The Rajbhar community has the largest voter base in Purvanchal,” he said.

This demand brought a new focus to the demands for division of the state as many social and regional organizations pushed for the creation of the states of Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Harit Pradesh and Madhyanchal.

“The demand for a separate Purvanchal is long overdue. We are glad that Om Prakash Rajbhar is raising the issue; the economic and social dynamics of Eastern UP are fundamentally different from Western UP. We hope that the demand for bifurcation will reach its logical conclusion,” said Devesh Chaubey, who is associated with the Purvanchal Vikas Parishad.

Ahead of the 2012 assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)-led UP government passed a proposal in the state assembly to divide Uttar Pradesh into four parts, but it did not get the central government’s approval.

The Congress claimed that Mr. Rajbhar’s new claim is aimed at staying relevant in Purvanchal (Eastern UP) politics as his own community is fast moving towards the opposition INDIA alliance.

“In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Rajbhar social group has supported the INDIA alliance. Om Prakash Rajbhar’s political stake has dwindled in the last two years; such a statement comes out of frustration amid efforts to remain relevant in the region’s politics, but the Rajbhar community understands that Om Prakash Rajbhar community has not done anything for the SP Raj-Congress region; said Shahnawaz Alam, National Secretary of the Congress.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) said the BJP and its alliance were working on divide and rule politics, with the statement reflecting the same. “The BJP and its allies have a history of divide and conquer. Instead of talking about what development work they have done in the last 10 years, such a statement highlights that the NDA has nothing to present to the public; we are fundamentally against the division of Uttar Pradesh,” said Sunil Singh Yadav ‘Sajan’, SP spokesperson.

BJP leaders refused to talk about Mr. Rajbhar’s comment.

Published – 22 Sep 2026 03:20 IST