SP against division of states : Akhilesh

Lucknow,
Dec 6, 2013: YSR Congress has received a shot in the arm with Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav opposing the division of any State and contending
that smaller states would bring to the fore many issues.

“Samajwadi Party (SP) is not in favour of division
of any State as it believes that smaller states cannot be the answer for
backwardness,” he said here on Friday.

Speaking to media after meeting YS Jagan Mohan
Reddy-led delegation of YSR Congress Party, he said, “division is not the
answer to the problems of a State. Netaji (our leader Mulayam Singh Yadav) had
time and again said that our Party is not in favour of the division of any
State.”

“Smaller states do not address the issues and to
cite an example, Uttaranchal has been axed from Uttar Pradesh but many problems
still exist there. There are many issues that are to be addressed and we firmly
believe that division is not the right answer,” he said.

Welcoming YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his associates
to the city on their maiden visit, Yadav said the issue should be discussed
thoroughly in Parliament and state assembly.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has been touring the country
and meeting leaders of national and regional parties to seek support for his
fight against the division of Andhra Pradesh and the need to amend article 3 so
that the Party in power at the Centre cannot misuse it for political gains.

He has so far met leaders of BJP, CPI, CPI(M),
JD(U), RJD, DMK, Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.