Congress may lose support of key ally

New Delhi: The Samajwadi Party may withdraw its support to the Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre.

According to sources close to the party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, a formal decision to this regard is expected to be made soon.

The Yadav family is peeved with the Congress party, especially its young national general secretary Rahul Gandhi following defeat of Mulayam's daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav at Ferozabad Lok Sabha by-election at the hands of Congress party's Raj Babbar on Tuesday.

The decision to withdraw support to the UPA government comes almost one and a half years after the Samajwadi Party came to its rescue after the Left Front withdrew its decisive support to the Manmohan Singh government over the Indo-US nuclear deal, reducing it to a minority.

Yadav's outfit not only lent support of its 36 lawmakers during the crucial Trust Vote in the Lok Sabha, but also helped the Congress by roping in lawmakers from other parties to vote for the government and its survival.

Samajwadi Party, in order to rescue the UPA government, virtually made the emerging Third Front redundant, indirectly helping the Congress party return to power with increased numbers in May general elections.

Drifting apart

The bonhomie between the two parties, however, could not last even for a year as they drifted apart on the number of seats to the offered to the Congress party from Uttar Pradesh, and took their own ways after talks failed.

The Samajwadi Party offered its unconditional support to the UPA, which despite emerging stronger had failed to reach the majority mark in the new Lok Sabha.

The withdrawal of support may not bother the Congress party much since the Samajwadi Party now has only 22 lawmakers in the Lok Sabha and the UPA continues to enjoy the majority support.

Uneasiness in the Congress-Samajwadi Party ties has been visible for quite sometime now. The party just fell short of withdrawing its support in August this year.

Mulayam is extremely upset with the Congress party for its decision to put up its candidate against his daughter-in-law, that too a former Samajwadi Party leader Raj Babbar.

His son Akhilesh Yadav has already said that his wife's defeat is the beginning of war between the two generation-next leaders.

New Delhi (PTI) Congress Member of Parliament Raj Babbar yesterday took a swipe at Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav for challenging Rahul Gandhi following the defeat of his wife Dimple Yadav in Firozabad Lok Sabha by-elections.

"This could be personal for anybody. I can also compare myself with Marlon Brando or Robert De Niro. Everybody has the right to say anything," he said in reply to a question whether Yadav was comparing himself to Gandhi when he said he was ready to accept the challenge thrown by Gandhi in UP.

Asked further on this comparison between the two youth leaders, who are called ‘Yuvraj' by their respective supporters, the new Congress MP said, "I don't know who calls whom Yuvraj but my leader is Rahul Gandhi."

He also took a dig at the Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh saying he may not be proving useful for the party.

"I had seen him putting a mask on his mouth. It looks his health is not okay. Naturally when one's health is not correct, one cannot think properly.he may not be proving useful for the party," Babbar said.

He was commenting on Singh Friday reportedly writing a letter to the SP chief saying he wants to distance himself from candidate selection process.