Amar Singh now joins chorus for smaller states

LUCKNOW - Ousted high-profile Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh Monday floated a new outfit, National Federation of Small States, to work towards the demand for smaller states - but it seems to be a non-starter.

The announcement was made Monday at a joint convention of leaders from different parts of the country seeking creation of six new states - Purvanchal, Harit Pradesh, both out of Uttar Pradesh; Bundelkhand out of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh; Vidharbha out of Maharastra; Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh and Gorkhaland out of West Bengal.

However, despite Singh having pumped in all his resources, it remained a poor show, with not one front-line leader joining from any of the six places.

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh, who is seeking creation of a Harit Pradesh, failed to show up.

The only prominent face was that of one-time Congressman Raja Bundela, who has been very vocal on his demand for creation of Bundelkhand. Only second-rung leaders turned up from other places.

Amar Singh, while pointing out how smalkler states could remove regional imbalances, said: “The success of smaller states was clearly visible in Chattisgarh, where Chief Minister Raman Singh had done far more than what its parent state Madhya Pradesh could have during the same period.”

He did not miss the opportunity to train his guns at both Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav as well as at Bahujan Samaj Party supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.

He went about citing examples of how both the leaders had just gone about devouring into the state’s resources by pumping in everything on their respective homes.

“While electricity was generated in Anpara and Sonbhadra, it was directed to Mulayam’s home in Saefai or Mayawati’s home in Badalpur,” he remarked.

What seemed to chagrin him most was Mayawati’s indifference to his repeated requests for a meeting.

“I sought an appointment with her three times but she has not cared to give me any time,” Amar Singh said.