India, Sept. 21 -- Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief and Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Monday said the division of Uttar Pradesh into four smaller states was "inevitable", reviving a long-standing political debate over the restructuring of the country's most populous state.

Speaking to ANI, Rajbhar said making a leader from the Rajbhar community the chief minister of a proposed Purvanchal state would be a non-negotiable condition for any future electoral alliance.

Addressing attendees in the region, Rajbhar cited the community's population and vote share across eastern Uttar Pradesh to support his demand.

"The division of the state is inevitable. When the state is divided-encompassing regions like Purva...