“Yes, it is true,” Yadav replied when mediapersons asked whether his party had told the Congress that it was ready to join the ruling alliance if Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool withdrew its support to the UPA.

“We want stability and prosperity of the country. We also want to keep communal forces away. In fact, our support to the UPA government is issue-based and only to keep the communal forces at bay,” Yadav said at a press conference in Kolkata.

Yadav also played down reports of differences with the Left parties that emerged during the recent Lok Sabha session over cut motions.

“Our relationship with the Left is as friendly as it has been before. We have jointly conducted a number of programmes and taken several decisions together,” said Yadav.

He, at the same time, criticised the Centre on several issues, including UPA government’s policies on tackling Maoists.

“This issue (Naxal menace) cannot be solved by guns and sticks. They have some valid demands and should be resolved by discussion in consultation with all all parties,” he said.

At the end of his party’s three-day executive meet, Yadav said there was no possibility of former general secretary Amar Singh’s return to the Samajwadi Party.

“Neither will he come to us nor will we accept him. That chapter is closed,” said the SP chief.