Mayawati favours division of bigger states

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati Thursday said that big states such as Uttar Pradesh should be bifurcated and favoured setting up of a state reorganisation commission.

Speaking to reporters after the bill for creation of Telangana was passed in parliament, Mayawati said that a special package should also be given to Telangana which had more backwars areas.

"It should be decided that the big states should be divided. This will help in preventing the struggle for smaller states," she said.

Mayawati, a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, said her government had sent a proposal to the centre for division of the state into four parts - western Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhad, Purvanchal and Awadh.

"The state (Uttar Pradesh) will progress if it is divided," she said.

She also said that B.R. Ambedkar, who played a stellar role in framing the constitution, was also in favour of smaller administrative units.