Lucknow, Nov 15 (IANS): The Congress party slammed Chief Minister Mayawati on her move to split Uttar Pradesh into four smaller units, but remained non-committal on the question of supporting or opposing the proposal.

"We have never been against creation of new states; in fact, the Congress party was responsible for creation of as many as 11 new states over the years in the country. But it cannot be done in an unplanned and haphazard manner as is being attempted by Mayawati," state Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi told a press conference here.

Terming the chief minister's move as a "political stunt ahead of the state assembly elections", she said: "Mayawati's design is to take political mileage by misguiding the innocent people of the state. But she has stood completely exposed as people understand what she means by taking such a step at a time when elections are just around the corner."

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Pramod Tiwari went a step further by observing that "Mayawati is simply playing a gimmick, otherwise what was she doing over the past four and a half years since she has been in power".

Tiwari claimed: "In fact, three resolutions introduced in the state assembly over this period are still pending - one was initiated by Congress leader Pradeep Jain for carving out Bundelkhand while another was moved by Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh for creation of Harit Pradesh and yet another by another leader for creating Purvanchal state - but none of the proposals received any support from the ruling BSP."

He lambasted Mayawati for playing with the sentiments of the people.