Left claims talks with IAEA stalled

New Delhi: As the UPA-Left battle over the Indo-US nuclear deal rages on, could India be headed towards a mid-term election?

All indications are that mid-term polls are now a virtual certainty. A crucial meeting of the 15 member UPA-Left nuclear panel has ended with both sides not budging from their respective stands.

The Left parties on Tuesday claimed to have persuaded the Government from going ahead with any negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the nuclear deal for the time being.

The Government however, is taking a completely different stand saying that they are going to go ahead with informal talks with IAEA.

Despite these discrepancies, it seems as if the two have agreed to disagree over the nuclear deal and have given each other till October 22, when the next meet will take place.

The Government on its part tried to convince the Left that the informal dialogue planned with the IAEA did not in any way mean operationalisning the deal, though it did not seem as if the Left was convinced.

Despite this, all 15 members of the panel have assured the people of the country that there is absolutely no crisis.

Left leader, Sitaram Yechuri said, "The findings of committee will be considered before finalising the deal. This is in writing between the UPA and the Left."

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who chaired the meeting of the 15-member Committee, said the panel would continue discussions on October 22.

"The members shared in detail their perceptions on various aspects of the cooperation agreement between India and the US. Discussions were also initiated on the implications of the nuclear agreement on foreign policy and security cooperation," he said in a statement.

The Left on its part has said says that no decision will be taken by it to withdraw support from the Government till the next meeting of the panel which is to be held on October 22.

The Government too refrained from commenting on snap polls, though RJD Chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad exuded confidence saying, "The Government is not falling. There will be no snap polls."

The meeting came in the backdrop of widening of rift between the UPA and the Left parties rejecting a plea of the Government that it be allowed to engage in informal negotiations with the IAEA.

In their note, the four Left parties supporting the Congress-led coalition from outside have asked the Government whether it can assure that India's foreign and security policies would not be compromised with the global American interests due to the Indo-US defence and nuclear agreements.