Mayawati to support Telangana Bill

Coming out in support of a separate Telangana state, BSP chief Mayawati today said her party will support the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill in Parliament.
While supporting Telangana, she also demanded further division of Uttar Pradesh into four more states for better administration and development of the region.
"We support the creation of Telangana and our party will support the Telangana bill that the government is bringing," she told reporters outside Parliament.
Justifying the creation of a separate Telangana state, she said, "Andhra Pradesh is a big state and the Telangana region is mostly inhabited by weaker section of the people and SC and ST people. The region is always neglected. So, there was always a demand for a separate state".

Mayawati said her party favours creation of smaller states.
"We are for carving out more states out of bigger states as it helps in the administration and development of the region. After the division of UP by creating Uttarakhand, the state is still a big state. So, there is a need for reorganisation of the state.

"It should be divided into four more states and then only there will be proper development of the state.
"Similarly in Maharashtra, there is a demand for separate Vidarbha state. This is in the interest of the people of the area," the BSP supremo said.

However, she criticised the government for delaying the process of creation of Telangana state.
"The government has delayed it. When there are only two-three days left (for the session to end), it is bringing in the Telangana bill," she said.