UP was in thick of action in 2011

Lucknow, Jan 6: Scams, murders and controversies reigned supreme in Uttar Pradesh in 2011 providing testing times for Chief Minister Mayawati amid heightened political activities which saw Congress and SP preparing to give a tough fight to the BSP in the coming assembly polls.

In the midst of the problems, the chief minister moved a proposal to divide the state into four parts and also got it hurriedly passed in 16 minutes in the assembly. The move, seen by analysts as one to address to the demand being raised from different regions, especially Bundelkhand and Purvanchal, and in turn gain from it in the coming elections, also stunned her political opponents.

It not only pushed the ball back in the court of Central government and cornered the Congress but also forced others like the SP and the BJP to take a clear stand on the issue which either way is likely to benefit BSP's poll prospects.

The year also saw more than five ministers losing their berths following inquiry by the state Lokayukta who received complaints of serious corruption charges against 22 ministers and 28 MLAs, mostly of the ruling BSP.

With an eye on the assembly elections, all the major parties undertook extensive yatras with the Congress' Rahul Gandhi and SP's Akhilesh Yadav leading the way. The Gandhi scion first went to Bhatta Parsaul followed by his arrest in May while expressing solidarity with farmers agitating for better land compensation and then undertaking massive mass contact programmes attacking the BSP.

The farmers' agitation brought into focus lacunae in land acquisition process underlining the need for a new bill. Land acquisition in various villages in Noida extension was also set aside by the court leaving thousands of allottees in the dark.

PTI