J Jayalalithaa to support UPA if DMK steps out

New Delhi : AIADMK supreme J Jayalalithaa on Thursday offered to support the Congress-led UPA government if the DMK withdrew support to the Central government in the event of sacking of Telecom minister A Raja from the Union Cabinet in the 2G Spectrum scam.

Pointing that the Congress had acted tough against its own leaders like Shashi Tharoor, Ashok Chavan and Suresh Kalmadi when their names figured in scams, Jayalalithaa said it was hesitant to act against Raja, fearing a collapse of the coalition government the party heads.

?I don?t think that the Congress really wishes to support Raja?.now it is becoming increasingly clear that the only reason the Congress is not taking action against Raja (is) because of the compulsions of coalition politics. The numbers game,? she said in an interview to the news channel TIMESNOW.

?Every constitutional authority from the CAG to the SC has commended in dealing on the massive scam cause by Raja,? the AIADMK leader added.

She maintained that the Congress was not cracking the whip on Raja as the party feared that Raja?s party, the DMK, will withdraw the support of its 18 MPs to the Congress-led coalition government, which will lead to a collapse of the government.

?If the Congress wishes to avoid going in for a mid-term polls, the numbers have to be made up. We (AIADMK) have 9 MPs in the Lok Sabha and between them other friendly parties have enough MPs to make up the 18 with one or two to spare,? Jayalalithaa said.

?I would also like to add that if a mid-term poll becomes inevitable, my party is prepared to face it anytime.?