Samajwadi Party opposed to division of states, says Mulayam Singh Yadav

Days after the Union Cabinet approved the creation of a separate Telangana state, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday said his party is opposed to division of states as smaller units are prone to problems and are not successful.

"We are opposed to creation of smaller states by dividing bigger states. Such administrative units are prone to problems due to lack of resources. Naxalism is one major problem which is prevailing in smaller states," he told reporters in New Delhi.

This is perhaps his first reaction on the Telengana issue after Cabinet approved the creation on a new state on October 3.

Yadav's remarks come after RLD leader and Union Minister Ajit Singh demanded creation of Harit Pradesh to be carved out of parts of Western UP.

Singh is learnt to have pitched for Harit Pradesh during a recent cabinet meeting which approved the creation of Telangana to be carved out of Andhra Pradesh.

While BSP and RLD support dividing UP into smaller states, Samajwadi Party is opposed to any such move.

In November, 2011, then then Mayawati government had adopted a resolution in the UP Assembly supporting division of the state into Bundelkhand, Pashchim Pradesh, Purvanchal and Paschim Pradesh.

Asked whether he will talk to TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, who is sitting on a fast in New Delhi to "expose" Congress, Yadav said he will speak on the issue later.

Yadav also skirted a reply on RJD chief Lalu Prasad's conviction in the fodder scam, saying he will speak on the issue at a later date.

His party had opposed the decision to withdraw the ordinance to negate a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a provision in the electoral law that protects a convicted MP or MLA from disqualification on the ground of pendency of appeal in higher courts.