UPA allies turn to Sonia to save Government

SAVIOUR SONIA? The Cong chief has become the last hope for the allies to avoid a full-blown confrontation.

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Keywords: Manmohan Singh, UPA

New Delhi: With two days to go for the crucial UPA-Left meeting on the Indo-US nuclear deal, the desperation among the ruling alliance to save the Manmohan Singh Government is growing.

All through Monday, allies met Congress President Sonia Gandhi to break the deadlock. Sources tell CNN-IBN that no decision will be taken on withdrawing support to the Government at the meeting.

In fact, Sonia has now become the last hope for the allies to avoid a full-blown confrontation. Allies urged the UPA Chairperson to find a way to keep the coalition intact and the Government alive.

“The nuclear deal is important and so is electricity. But it is also important that the Government doesn’t fall. This is not the time to go for elections, however I must also say that nobody is scared of elections,” Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said.

Meanwhile, LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan said, “We all know that no party including the Left can get absolute majority in the elections. Anyhow we should be able to sort this problem soon.”

It's the toughest call the UPA Chairperson has to take. She cannot be seen as not backing the Prime Minister who is determined not to give up the nuclear deal. Singh will also be looking at Sonia to take a political decision before he heads to Tokyo for the crucial G-8 meeting where he will have to convey his Government's position to US President George Bush.

But equally adamant is the Left with sources confirming to CNN-IBN that their position is non-negotiable. So, if the Government were to go ahead with the deal it would mean immediate snapping of ties.

The Left meanwhile, is pinning its hopes on allies, a majority of whom don't want early elections.

“In a democracy the best way to solve a problem is through dialogue and I am a firm believer of this process,” NCP chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said.

With the Government's ace troubleshooter, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee back in the Capital just hours before the Left-UPA meeting, sources say the Government will buy some more time on June 25.

But with time running out on the deal and G-8 a perfect platform to begin the NSG negotiations in earnest, a decision either way will have to be taken by the second week of July. However, what makes Sonia's job difficult is that she also has to factor in post-election calculations.