Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday welcomed the Election Commission's decision to conduct single-phase polling in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Speaking to reporters, Owaisi said that it was a good decision and would provide a level playing field to both the states. The Hyderabad MP said that this was important in the wake of the data breach by Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

The Election Commission announced that Andhra Pradesh and Telangana would go to polls on a single phase on April 11. In Andhra Pradesh, polling will also be held for Assembly elections.

Owaisi exuded confidence that the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) will win 16 Lok Sabha seats and his Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) one seat to sweep the polls 17-0 in Telangana.

He predicted that the YSR Congress Party would win more than 20 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh.

Owaisi said he and his party would campaign for the TRS across Telangana and he would also visit Andhra Pradesh to address public meetings if YSR Congress leader Jaganmohan Reddy requests him to do so.

He was confident that regional parties would form the next government at the Centre.

"This is what the country needs because the BJP government with 280 seats failed to live up to the expectations. The regional parties will build a new India by ensuring governance in real-time and by addressing real issues and by bringing peace and stability in Kashmir and northeast," he said.

Speaking to MyNation, Telangana BJP Spokesperson Krishna Sagar Rao, said, "The BJP feels Asaduddin Owaisi does not find anything else to do and is into constant politicking 24/7. It's a shame that Owaisi, whose party, for the last 40 years has not crossed the radius of Hyderabad city and holds one seat is now giving lectures to the single largest party in the country. He and his party have to come clean on what they have done to the old city which they represent."