Anita Saluja/Newindpress
New Delhi, Oct 24: Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is keen to go ahead with the nuclear deal at the cost of sacrificing his own Government, neither Congress President Sonia Gandhi nor the UPA-Allies are ready for it.
The Prime Minister has been told by his alliance-partners that though they have nothing against the deal, they are not keen to take the political call, as yet and go for elections.
According to sources, the UPA-Left committee meeting slated for November 16 is expected to be the last meeting, as both sides are sticking on their stand. However, the Congress leadership is still optimistic that there can be a "meeting ground," between the two.
The Congress is trying to persuade the Left that they should not withdraw support from the UPA Government until such time they operationalise the nuke deal. Since none of the parties are for the deal, they should not insist on a "written word."
The Left parties, as of now, want the UPA Government to give them in writing that they would not perationalise the deal.
The Congress leadership is hard-pressed to underscore the point to the Left that India’s image would take a severe beating if they make such a commitment in black and white. The UPA leadership is for the deal and would choose their own timing to go ahead with it. Since none of the parties want to go for elections, they can put the nuke deal on "hold."
The UPA-Left meeting slated for November 16 is expected to be the last meeting, where both the parties would come out with their stand on the nuke deal.
Since there would be "no findings’ of the committee, the leaders are likely to draw-up a conclusion that they are keeping the nuke deal on hold, due to the differences between them. "There was confusion earlier but now there is clarity on our irrespective viewpoints," confided a senior leader.
By keeping the nuke deal on hold and not giving the Left any commitment in writing, the Congress leadership feels that it is a face-saving formula for both the parties. Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh will be happy as long as he has the assurance that the nuke deal is not "off," at the same time, the Left can be satisfied that they have indeed kept the nuclear deal on hold.
The Congress is of the opinion that they can go ahead with the deal and choose its own timing to go for elections, after the Gujarat elections or the Budget Session.
Sources ruled out having any special Parliament Session on the nuke deal. Since the BJP is not keen to take a position on the nuclear deal, there is no point in convening a session and go for walkouts.