United National Progressive Alliance chairman and Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday said that the alliance was against 'further division" of the country to form smaller states.

Addressing a media conference after a meeting of UNPA leaders in Hyderabad, Mulayam Singh said, "Such division is not in the national interest. It rather poses danger to the unity of the country" and blamed the "power-hungry" politicians for raising the demand for formation of small states.

"We are against the division of (existing) states, whether it is Andhra Pradesh or Uttar Pradesh. Wherever small states were formed (with the division of big states), Naxalism has taken roots. This has happened in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, which are in the grip of Naxalites. Even in Uttarakhand, Naxalites are making attempts to get a foothold," he pointed out.

The UNPA chairman said that experience had shown that Naxalism spread faster in smaller states because the administration there did not have a firm grip, compared to the big states which had better grip.

Without naming them, he had a dig at UP Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, who is advocating the trifurcation of UP, and Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao, who is spearheading the movement for separate Telangana state, terming them as "power hungry" leaders.

SP general secretary Amar Singh asserted that the UNPA was a viable alternative to the Congress-led United Progeressive Alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.

He refuted suggestions that the UNPA was a conglomeration of 'spent forces.' "I don't agree with your views. UNPA is not a group of rejected and dejected leaders. We are viable opposition in the states represented by our constituents. You cannot term Mulayam Singh Yadav, N Chandrababu Naidu [Images], Brindaban Goswami and Dr Farooq Abdullah rejected and dejected leaders. Naidu and Mulayam Singh are recognised leaders of the opposition in their respective states," he said.

"We are not spent forces. Even our political opponents don't think so. The so-called national parties Congress and BJP got only 9,000 and 20,000 votes respectively in Lok Sabha bypoll in Ballia where Samajwadi Party bagged the seat by a huge majority of 1.5 lakh votes. Rajnath Singh and Sonia Gandhi [Images] hail from UP. After losing Ballia, BSP chief Mayawati is now on a shooting spree. She is not even sparing students who are shot dead by the police," he said.

He admitted that All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa was no longer with the UNPA.

"It is true that Jayalalithaa was with us (initially). It is also true that we have not deserted her but she has done so. Defying the UNPA decision to abstain from presidential polls, AIADMK voted for Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Despite this, Naidu and Mulayam Singh tried to keep her with us. She has broken away from us. She has herself declared that she is not with UNPA.

This is her one-sided and unilateral decision. It is her decision and her sweet will. She is meeting Narendra Modi [Images] and other BJP leaders. We respect her decision not to be with us. We cannot make anybody stay with us by force," he added.

Answering questions, Amar Singh said, "The UNPA is committed to the welfare of the minorities. Both Naidu and Mulayam Singh have reiterated their commitment to uphold the just rights of the minorities and take steps for their welfare."

The UNPA, he said, would protect the Wakf properties in the country. "It is unfortunate that in Maharashtra, a wakf property is grabbed not by the poor but by the world's richest man. The Wakf Board is taking steps against this," he pointed out.