NEW DELHI: Within 24 hours of the latest stalemate over the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, the Congress has roped in at least three key allies in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to break the ice with the Left parties, even as both sides reached out to the constituents in the ruling coalition to ascertain their positions.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee discussed various options to keep the deal and the UPA arrangement alive with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late in the night, capping a day of hectic parleys.
Prior to this, Mr. Mukherjee met National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon.
While a formal meeting of the ruling alliance is not being ruled out ahead of the next meeting of the UPA-Left coordination committee, scheduled for June 25, the Congress is making every effort to get all allies on board.
Simultaneously, communication channels were kept open with the Left as Mr. Mukherjee met Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury in the evening. By then, the Congress had enlisted the support of Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad and Lok Jan Shakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan. Both joined Mr. Mukherjee and Mr. Yechury in the discussions.
“We can sort it out”
Briefing reporters later, Mr. Prasad said there was nothing new in the Left position and every problem could be sorted out through dialogue. Stating that whatever was in the national interest should be done, Mr. Paswan said: “The government will run for five years.”
Meanwhile, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has sent a confidential communication to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M. Karunanidhi. According to informed sources, the letter was sent through Union Surface Transport Minister T.R. Baalu, who met her on Wednesday.
After Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar met Mr. Mukherjee, party spokesman D.P. Tripathi told The Hindu that the NCP was with the government on the deal, and that every effort should be made to build consensus.
After the rescheduling of the coordination committee meeting on Wednesday, CPI national secretary D. Raja spoke to Mr. Karunanidhi and suggested that he ask the Congress why it was precipitating matters. Pointing out that the Left position was consistent, Mr. Raja said if the Congress went ahead with the deal, the Left parties would be forced to reconsider their support to the UPA.
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