Lucknow: Congress on November 18 decided to abstain from the crucial bypoll to the lone Legislative Council in which the ruling combine's nominee Munna Singh Chauhan and the Opposition-backed dissident Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Legislators' candidate Yashwant Singh are locked in a straight contest.

Congress Legislature group leader Pramod Tewari and senior party leader Jagadambika Pal said their party had decided to abstain from the Council byelection claiming Yashwant Singh was neither a Congress candidate nor a candidate of the joint Opposition. Besides, the Congress was not consulted on this matter, the leaders told reporters.

The Congress would, however, vote in favour of the no-confidence motion if the same was brought in the Vidhan Sabha by the Opposition, they added.

The two leaders claimed the Mayawati government no longer enjoyed support of the majority in the Assembly and that the Governor should direct the Chief Minister to prove her majority on the floor of the House by convening a special session of the Vidhan Sabha.

Samajwadi Party has termed the decision of the Congress to abstain from the poll as "unfortunate" and said that it would send a wrong message to the nation.

Independent MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya has termed the decision of the Congress as "suicidal".

PTI