Gadkari also said the BSP supremo's move was aimed at luring voters by befooling people ahead of the assembly polls.

"When she came to know that her government is not coming back to power, she (Mayawati) played this political stunt of dividing Uttar Pradesh in four different states," said Gadkari at a function here today.

"It should not be done to seek votes ahead of the polls. She is doing so to cover up her misrule of four and a half years. She is doing so to cover up her misgovernance. It is a political stunt and people understand all this," he lamented.

He said by trying to seek votes before the implementation of code of conduct Mayawati is trying to befool people ahead of the assembly polls.

He added that as per the Constitution, the power to create new states lies with Parliament.

"She has done it with political motives and by befooling people," he said.

Making the party's position on favouring smaller states for good governance clear once again, the BJP president said, "We are in favour of small states, but there should be a proper social and economic assessment. The viability of such small states should be done first... Then it needs to be debated upon in Parliament and then passed. This is how it needs to be done."

Criticising Mayawati for spending money on her own statues even while the people of the state were not having money for filling their stomachs and farmers any water for their fields, Gadkari said, "for doing development, you don't need to have money. You need to have a sense of patriotism, the will to do something good for the nation, for the society."