UPA govt banking on SP, BSP to blow away Mamata threat

Amidst threat by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to bring no-confidence motion against the UPA government in the winter session of Parliament, Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma on Monday said that the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party would continue to support it.

"Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati will continue to support the UPA...you know this and I also know this. In fact you know more than me," Beni said in a reply to a question while talking to the reporters.

"Mulayam will not withdraw support from the UPA," Beni asserted, when asked whether the SP supremo would not at all withdraw support.

On Mamata's threat, the minister said, the government has got the required numbers and the UPA was capable of facing any challenge.

On being asked whether he felt, the UPA would come to power again despite issues like price rise, Beni said, the alliance would come to power again and again as there was no alternative before the country.

When asked as to when the Congress would declare list of its candidate for 2014 Lok Sabha polls, he said, elections would be held in May 2014.

"Some people are in a hurry they are declaring their candidates. Congress is in no hurry," he said, in an apparent dig on the SP, which declared its candidate for Uttar Pradesh.

On whether the party would project Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate in the general elections, he said, the decision would be taken by the party high command.

"Rahul Gandhi has been made head of the coordination committee recently, what indications this gives. My personal wish is that Rahul Gandhi becomes the PM. I and many Congressmen want to see him as the PM in future," he said.

On whether he was not getting support from the state government in execution of projects, Beni said, he may have some complaints from the previous government, but Akhilesh was his nephew and he has no complaint against him.

On being asked about appreciating Akhilesh he said, "I will remain soft for Akhilesh throughout my life and hard on Mulayam... there is no concession for him."
 
On Mulayam's statement that Congress would be reduced to two seats in Lok Sabha polls, Beni said, he himself was enough to set the SP supremo right and there no need of the Congress for that.

Regarding cap on supply of subsidised LPG cylinders, the minister said, even he was of the opinion that the numbers should be increased.

"The government is considering this," he added.