AAP supports Telangana, in favour of smaller states

Hyderabad, Jan 18: Indicating that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is in favour of separate Telangana state, its senior leader Prashant Bhushan on Saturday said the outfit supported smaller states as it believes in decentralization of power.

Bhushan also said the AAP was averse to having any pre-poll alliance with any political party.

He, however, said like-minded parties like Lok Satta in Andhra Pradesh, led by former bureaucrat Jayprakash Narayan, was welcome to AAP fold.

"So far we have decided not to enter into pre-poll alliance. However, they (Lok Satta) may merge with AAP. There have been discussions (towards merger) in this regard. It is too early to say anything at this point," Bhushan told reporters.

Lok Satta Party national president Jayprakash Narayan, the lone legislator of the party in the AP Assembly, and his team from Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi held discussions with AAP president Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders at Delhi recently fuelling speculations that both the parties may forge alliance in the ensuing general and assembly elections.

Earlier in the day, Bhushan inaugurated AAP's Andhra Pradesh campaign committee office and addressed a meeting of party members.

"We support decentralization of power and therefore we support smaller states. The matter does not get solved only with the formation of Telangana. We need further decentralisation right till village level," he said.

"I want to assure the people of Andhra region that AAP would work hard for rights of people of all regions," he said when asked about the party's stand on Seemandhra (a term used to refer regions comprising Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra).

Bhushan took a dig at Congress and BJP saying both the parties have common ideologies in terms of corruption and communalism and hence AAP would maintain equal distance from them.

PTI