Of Demands for New States....

The country could well have 50 states in place of the current 28, given the number of representations made to the home ministry for separate statehood.
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has received representations from different political groups across the country for creation of more than 20 states. Most demands, including one from the BSP-led UP government, had come to the ministry before the announcement on the creation of a separate Telangana state.
The announcement has given a new lease of life to these demands as is visible in Assam and West Bengal where riots have broken out over the issue. The demands for separate states have come from across the country — for Kukiland in Manipur to Kongu Nadu in Tamil Nadu, for Kamatapur in North Bengal to Tulu Nadu in Karnataka.

However, except Uttar Pradesh, where the previous Mayawati-led BSP government had proposed to create four states dividing the country’s most populous state, no state government has given any recommendation for carving out a new state.
But the demands continue to pour in. “The demands for creation of separate states were received by the home ministry through representations from various organizations or individuals over the years,” a ministry official said.
In Uttar Pradesh, there have been demands for Awadh Pradesh, Poorvanchal, Bundelkhand and Pachimanchal or Harit Pradesh. There is also a demand for the creation of a Braj Pradesh, consisting of Agra division and Aligarh division of UP and districts of Bharatpur and Gwalior from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. A demand for creation of Bhojpur comprising areas of eastern UP, Bihar and Chhattisgarh has also been received by the home ministry.

There has been an old demand for creation of a separate Vidarbha by carving out the Vidarbha region from Maharashtra. A violent movement in Bengal and Assam has been simmering for long for Kamtapur. The Separate State Demands Committee for Kamtapur demands Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda districts of Bengal and 11 districts of Assam, including Dhubri, Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar for their new state.
Problems would aggravate in Assam where several groups are likely to step up their statehood demand. The armed agitation for Bodoland that petered out after a deal for Bodoland Territorial Council between the Centre, Assam, and Bodo Liberation Tigers is showing signs of revival with demands for a separate state of Bodoland gaining ground.