“This year, Uttar Pradesh will not participate in the annual parade in the national capital as the state failed to get its theme approved by the Centre in time,” an official of the state Information department said.

He claimed that the government received the Centre’s official communication asking for the theme very late.

“Every year, the Centre asks the states about the theme of their tableau. Accordingly, a proposal is forwarded. This year, we didn’t receive any official communiqué initially from the Centre on this,” said Ajay Upadhyaya, Additional Director in the state Information department. However, after the state government sent a letter to the Centre seeking directives, a formal letter arrived only two days before the last date for the submission of proposals, he added.

Between 1959 and 2006, this will be the tenth time when UP’s tableau will not be seen in the annual event, said an official. The state had won the best tableau prize in 1984, and several others on three different occasions.