The die is cast for a Left pullout even before prime minister Manmohan Singh returns from the G8 Summit in Japan.
PM says govt will go to the IAEA “very soon”
NEW DELHI: The die is cast for a Left pullout even before prime minister Manmohan Singh returns from the G8 Summit in Japan. A shocker from the prime minister on his way to Japan on Monday, confirming that his government will approach the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “very soon’’ to finalise the safeguards agreement, accelerated the inevitable showdown with his Marxist partners.
The Left is now set to announce withdrawal of support at a morning meeting on Tuesday.
In all likelihood, leaders of the four Left parties will meet President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday (she will return to the Capital on Tuesday evening) and hand over the formal letter of withdrawal. The prime minister is due back only on Thursday.
The prime minister’s statement, made on board his aircraft en route to Japan, makes it clear that he is not worried about a Left pullout. “As and when such a contingency arises, we are going to deal with it,” PTI quoted him as saying.
His unexpected bravado sent the political temperature soaring and lit the fuse for a countdown to the crucial trust vote that will determine whether the UPA government has been able to pull in the required numbers to survive a Left withdrawal. The Congress appeared to be confident of winning the numbers game.
A highly placed source in the government said they would like to get the strength test over with as soon as possible. Possible dates being mentioned for the battle of numbers in Parliament were July 20 or 22.
Predictably, Left leaders were beside themselves with rage as news of the PM’s bombshell came in. It upturned Pranab Mukherjee’s measured letter to them that very morning, calling for a final meeting of the joint nuclear committee on July 10. ``Why has the PM made a declaration before the (July 10) meeting?’’ fumed CPI leader D Raja. ``Don’t blame us for what happens tomorrow.’’
CPI(M) leader Nilotpal Basu raged that the PM had broken the understanding to not precipitate matters till his return from Japan. ``We are supposed to behave, but the PM can do what he likes. How is it possible?’’ he demanded.
Having given the Left a bloody nose with his precipitous announcement, the PM has shut the door on any kind of understanding, now or in the future, with the Marxists. Much to the chagrin of a section of the Congress, he has ensured that the Left will vote with the BJP against a confidence motion. The bitterness of the parting also rules out a post-poll arrangement in case the Congress is in a position to form the next government and needs numbers.
What remains now to be seen is whether the PM’s confidence in his political management of numbers justifies his gamble. A Congress minister said negotiations with the new allies - the Samajwadi Party (SP), Janata Dal (S) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal - were being handled at the PMO level and those involved were gung-ho about winning the trust vote.
However, there are reports about dissensions in the SP, with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) trying to sharpen the fault lines in Mulayam Singh’s party. Also, there are corporate lobbies at work that do not want the Congress-SP alliance to materialise at the government level.
``It all depends on whether the SP’s numbers hold,’’ confided a Congress source. On Tuesday, the SP has called a meeting in Delhi of its parliamentary party as a show of strength and unity. With Mulayam Singh hospitalised on Monday evening, it will be left to Amar Singh to keep his flock together.
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