Left shows UPA its options, meets UNPA leader over nuke-deal

A day after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government refused to budge on Lefts demand to publicly declare the end of Indo-US nuclear deal, CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat met two key leaders of the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), also known as the Third Front.

New Delhi, Oct 23 : A day after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government refused to budge on Left's demand to publicly declare the end of Indo-US nuclear deal, CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat met two key leaders of the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), also known as the Third Front.

In a bid to show the UPA that the majority of parliamentarians are against the bilateral deal, Karat discussed with the Third Front leaders on the prospect of showcasing a unified front against the nuclear deal.

Karat met SP leaders Mulayam Singh, Amar Singh and TDP leader Y Naidu.

The discussions between the Left, and Samajwadi Party (SP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were held with a view to reach a common understanding over the deal on the floor of the House, Karat said.

Amar Singh said the UNPA would decide its strategy after having consultation with all alliance partners.

Later the UNPA leaders met to evolve their strategy in the wake of Left's proposal to exhibit their united stand against the deal.

On Monday, the special committee of the UPA and the Left formed to resolve disagreements between the two sides over the deal held deliberations for the fifth time.

They decided to continue the talks and scheduled their next meeting on November 16 even as the 'unofficial' deadline for India to initiate formal negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for country-specific agreements ends in October.

Just hours before this meeting, top leaders of the coalition government met amidst report that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed his disappointment over the politics being played over the bilateral agreement.

The civilian nuclear cooperation deal aims to lift a three-decade ban on sales of US nuclear fuel and reactors to India, which was imposed after it conducted a nuclear test in 1974 while staying out of non-proliferation agreements.

The Left Front, which provides crucial support to the government from outside, has been opposing the deal and the situation between UPA and Left reached a nadir, sparking the prospect of snap elections.

ANI