Notwithstanding his disliking for the Congress, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav has said his party will support the Congress to keep the "communal forces" away from power.

"There is no question of supporting the National Democratic Alliance. What is the other option at such juncture? It is understood then. It is our compulsion to go with the alliance having Congress policies rather than that of the BJP, because we would not like to see communal forces at the power," the former UP Chief Minister told Outlook weekly in an interview.

Yadav, whose Samajwadi Party is a part of newly formed United Nation Progressive Alliance (UNPA) added, "We voluntarily extended our support (to the Congress) last time only for that sake (to keep BJP away from power)."

Yadav, who successfully came to the power in the state in 2003 with the support of Congress after dethroning Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party government, said some leaders of his party were in touch with the Congress leadership.

"Not me, some of my party leaders have been in informal conversation with the Congress leaders. However,  there are not any serious talks so far," Yadav said.

On the moves to form the Third Front, he said, "Both of them (UPA and NDA) are not good. We are attempting to form a third power therefore nobody can form the government without us.''                 

Yadav, who lost power to Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh last year, took a swipe at her party. "The BSP is not like a party. It is only a gathering. They convert rich people into politicians. They have neither any policy nor programme."

Asked about his earlier statement that he could consider growing closer to the BJP if it gives up the issues like uniform civil code, Article 370 and Rama temple, Yadav dismissed any such possibility as the saffron party would not shun these issues.

"I had told this even in the Lok Sabha, but it has been a long time. I have never talked of making friendship. I, however, only talked about reducing the gap between the two parties. But I know they will never accept this demand," he said.