In politics and diplomacy, an enemy's enemy is a friend.

This appears to be particularly true in the case of the Samajwadi Party, whose government in Uttar Pradesh came under severe criticism this week from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, son of party president Sonia Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi, whose party supports the UP government from outside, spoke of the deteriorating law and order condition in the state.

Apparently anticipating that the Congress would withdraw support to Mulayam Singh Yadav's government, SP General Secretary Amar Singh met former prime minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi on Wednesday, according to sources.

Amar Singh said later that it was a courtesy call and no political significance should be attached to it.

The SP has called the BJP a communal party with which it would have no truck. However, the sources said the SP leadership may look towards the BJP to bail it out in case the Congress withdraws support.

"He is a kid,"Amar Singh said, when asked about Rahul Gandhi's criticism of Mulayam Singh's government.

The SP's apprehension has been aggravated by the fact that the future course of its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, is not clear.

The United Progressive Alliance is said to be dangling a ministerial bait to lure RLD president Ajit Singh away from Mulayam Singh's side. But Ajit Singh has dismissed such reports as untrue.