Supporting UPA 'compulsion' for SP, BSP: Beni Prasad

Steel minister Beni Prasad Verma Monday said the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) were "under compulsion" to support the Congress-led central government to complete its full term. But he refused to elaborate further saying the compulsion was "well known".

Steel minister Beni Prasad Verma Monday said the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) were "under compulsion" to support the Congress-led central government to complete its full term. But he refused to elaborate further saying the compulsion was "well known".

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"'Yeh main bhi jaanta hoon aur aap bhi jaante hain, darasal aap mujhse behtar jaante hain ki ve kyon samarthan denge' (I as well as the media knows about it, in fact the media knows it better than me, as to why they will support the government)," Verma said, referring indirectly to the rumours that the chiefs of both the parties fear being probed for disproportionate assets.

On West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee's announcement about moving a no-confidence motion against the United Progressive Alliance government in the winter session of parliament, the minister said the government was not worried about it as it had the desired numbers to defeat the motion.

The SP and the BSP have 22 and 21 members, respectively, in the Lok Sabha.

He also claimed the UPA would come back to power in 2014 as there was "no alternative" to it.