The UPA government on Friday breathed easy with theSamajwadi Party bailing it out pledging its continued support as TrinamoolCongress formally split with the coalition withdrawing its backing after itsministers quit.
Significantly, the TMC, which withdrew the support of 19 ofits MPs to the government, did not press for a vote of confidence by the governmentin the Lok Sabha when they met President Pranab Mukherjee.
Breaking the suspense, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who hadyesterday joined hands with the Left and other parties on the streets of Delhiagainst the government's decision to allow FDI in retail and the diesel pricehike, came out with a statement totally backing to the UPA.
"Our support is clear. We will not let communal forcescome to power. That is why I am supporting. I am not in the UPA. But we aresupporting so that communal forces do not make any progress," he toldreporters in Delhi.
The pledge of continued support by Mulayam Singh Yadav,leader of the 22 MP-strong SP, "to keep the communal forces at bay"will ensure the backing of over 300 MPs to the Manmohan Singh government in the545-member Lok Sabha.
The withdrawal of support by TMC left brought the strengthof UPA and its allies to 254, 19 short of the half-way mark of 273 in the LokSabha that is required for a simple majority.
However, the backing of 50 MPs belonging to outside allieslike SP (22) and BSP (21) takes the coalition's support to over 300.
