SP to continue support to UPA

Lucknow, Jan 17 (UNI) Even as Congress tonight decided to withdraw support to the three-year-old Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh, the ruling Samajwadi Party would continue its outside support to the UPA at the Centre in the ''larger interest.'' Addrerssing a hurriedly convened news conference here, SP leader and state agriculture minister Dr Ashok Bajpai said till the final decision is reached by the high command, the party would continue to support the UPA in the larger interest of keeping communal parties at bay.

''Congress' support to the government was technical in nature...practically, it did noting to support the government. It created hurdles in the government's efforts to carry out works of public importance,'' he claimed.

He also termed Congress and BJP as two sides of the same coin.

''They are working together to uproot the Mulayam government.'' The winter session of the state legislature beginning tomorrow will prove that the government still enjoys the confidence of the house, he asserted.

Sources, meanwhile, said the CM might seek a confidence vote to prove his majority after Congress withdrew support over law and order and corruption and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) withdrew its three ministes from the ruling coalition over cane prices.

UNI