Amar Singh backs Mayawati on splitting UP

Expelled SP leader Amar Singh today came out in support of the BSP government on the resolution passed in Uttar Pradesh Assembly for division of the state into four parts and said the Centre should now do the needful by creating new states.

In an apparent dig at Samajwadi Party, he said even socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia was a supporter of smaller states.

"Even great socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia favoured smaller states...Now the ball is in the Centre's court and it should do the needful," Singh said.

But, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, said Singh was not aware of the philosophy of Lohia who was against creation of smaller states.

"Had he been alive, he would also not have allowed Chhattisgarh to have been carved out of Madhya Pradesh," Yadav said.

To a poser on whether the resolution was a political move, Singh, who now heads Lokmanch Party, said till the time it serve the interests of the common man, it did not matter whether it was a political move.

"Even the package for weavers can be termed as political move ahead of UP assembly elections. But till the time the people benefit, how does it matter," he said.

He said the creation of Awadh Pradesh, Poorvanchal, Paschim Pradesh and Bundelkhand will help the locals come out of their difficulties, including poor infrastructure, unemployment and power crisis.