Putting up a brave face in face of reports of a few party MPs toeing Mayawati’s line, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, “I want to clarify that the SP is united and those who have left us have done it for their vested interests. I consider that only one (S P Baghel) has left us. But we have also increased our tally from elsewhere.” The SP paraded its MPs and later in the evening party general secretary Amar Singh claimed that BJP MP from Balrampur (UP) Brij Bhushan Singh was also with the SP in supporting the Government’s trust vote.

Lashing out at the Left, Mulayam told it “not to preach secularism” to the SP. “It was the SP that weakened the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. We have reduced them to 10 seats in the state. But it is the Left parties, which are claiming themselves as more secular than us. Their true face has come out in the open,” Mulayam said, adding that the Left parties were siding with the BSP chief who had even campaigned for Narendra Modi soon after Gujarat riots in 2002.

“It was Left parties that had clubbed themselves with the BJP in 1989 at the Centre, but in UP, I fought elections separately from the BJP. I had not even made a compromise when the BJP tried to demolish the Babari mosque. I have fought for secularism. Let the Left parties cite any example where they have fought the communal forces the way I have. I have not only fought against the communal forces but I have also paid the price for it. I do not make false claims like the Left,” he said, ending with, “Now, Lal Krishna and Lal Jhanda (red flag) have come together.”

Mulayam also came down heavily on his former colleagues in the UNPA, particularly against TDP president Chandrababu Naidu. Naidu had met Mayawati on Saturday pledging his support for her.

“Naidu sahab, you need not speak out in public. I know very well about stains on you sleeves. It is the BSP-BJP-Left along with Naidu who is roaming around and pursuing MPs not to vote for the Government. These people have taken politics to a new low. They are corrupting politics,” Mulayam said even while posing a query for CPI national general secretary, “Bardhan sahab, why don’t you point out who is buying MPs now. Isn’t that your new colleague in the BSP. The Left has stooped so low.”