Kalam's advice does the trick, SP backs N-deal

SUPPORTING CAST: With SP deciding to support the deal, the UPA is assured of majority support in Parliament.

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Keywords: UNPA, APJ Abdul Kalam

New Delhi: The United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) is fast coming apart. In dramatically swift steps the Samajwadi Party, one of the main constituents of the UNPA, has gone from opposing the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal to supporting it now.

The change in SP's stand came after an hour-long meeting its leaders - Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh - had with former president APJ Abdul Kalam, a known supporter of the nuclear deal.

"He (Kalam) has advised us and on that basis I can say that this deal is in the interest of the country," Mulayam said after meeting Kalam in New Delhi.

Mulayam gave his thumbs up to the deal after Kalam - the man the SP supremo and his party most admire - endorsed it.

The Congress can now be sure that the United Progressive Alliance Government is safe and deal is going through.

But what about the fate of UNPA headed by the SP?

Mulayam simply said, "I will talk to UNPA leaders on this issue."

Earlier the cracks in the UNPA were visible during its daylong meeting in New Delhi.

All through the SP was speaking in a different voice even through there was a pledge that the Third Front will survive.

Following the UNPA meeting earlier on Thursday, Indian National Lok Dal leader Om Prakash Chautala said, "UNPA is rock solid and there is no weakness in the alliance."

Amar Singh though differently and spoke about another priority.

"Communalism is the biggest danger and even a bigger danger than the deal," he said after the UNPA meet.

Incidentally it wasn't SP, which suggested the name of the impartial neutral Kalam to discuss the nuclear deal.

“Kalam is the biggest scientist. We will meet him and discuss the deal," Chautala had said.

Kalam has been supporting the deal. Yet he became party to one of the greatest political realignments in the history of independent India.

He paved the way for two bitter enemies to come together. Though the SP will oppose the Congress on a lot of issues but will definitely support the deal.

(With inputs from Bhupendra Chaubey)