New Delhi - India's political scene was on the boil on
Saturday after a major regional party said it would support Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh's minority government on a controversial
civilian nuclear deal with the United States.
The announcement came after a week of hectic political activity
following the United Progress Alliance (UPA) government's left party
allies' announcement that they would withdraw support if Singh went
ahead with the deal.
The threat, with the potential to topple his government, came as
Singh prepared to leave for the G8 summit in Japan where he is
expected to discuss progress on the nuclear deal with US President
George W Bush.
The UPA government is now expected to face a confidence motion in
parliament after Singh returns and may just be able to scrape through
with the support of the Samajwadi Party.
India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted
aggressively to the developments, saying Singh should immediately
seek a confidence vote in parliament as it had come to power with
left support four years ago.
'I have never seen a government like today's. It's a charade,' the
leader of the opposition and BJP's prime ministerial candidate LK
Advani said at a press briefing in the Indian capital on Saturday.
'They have reduced governance to a theatre of the absurd,' he said.
The UPA government is due to complete its five-year term in May
2009. There is a prospect of a snap election earlier if the
government fails to muster the required support in parliament. If it
gets through then there cannot be another no-trust vote for at least
six months.
With spiralling inflation caused by rising international crude oil
and commodity prices, it may not be the best of times for the
government to face the electorate.
Backtracking on a deal which was hammered out after two years of
hard negotiations would also come as a blow both on the international
and domestic fronts for Singh and the UPA.
The civilian nuclear deal would allow the US to export fissile
technology and material to India ending a three-decade ban while
India would open its civilian reactors to international inspection.
The left parties say they oppose the deal as it would adversely
impact India's strategic sovereignty and make the country a stooge of
'US imperialism.'
The Hindu nationalist BJP is opposed to a clause which may stop
India from conducting nuclear tests.
Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, however, said that
after a briefing by National Security Advisor MK Narayanan and talks
with former president APJ Abdul Kalam, a scientist who has been at
the helm of India's nuclear programme, the party had decided it was
in the national interest to support the deal.
'In politics, parties switch sides often, but we have never sided
with communal forces,' the Samajwadi leader said, adding: 'The BJP's
communalism is a bigger danger than the imperialism of America.'
The Samajwadi Party is a member of a third front which opposes
both the Congress Party, a leading partner in the UPA coalition, and
the BJP. Other third front leaders say they will vote against the UPA
if there is a trust motion in parliament.
But it is evident that all the political parties are gearing up
for elections and the Samajwadi Party's latest position may have well
been made with an eye on the hustings.
The two parties have the same vote-bank in populous Uttar Pradesh
state and Digvijay Singh, an office-bearer of the Congress Party,
said he did not rule out seat adjustments.
Advani was in full election mode at his press briefing, bringing
up the issues of price rises, terrorism and the government's handling
of the land for a Hindu shrine of Amarnath.
While the parties switch gears, time is fast running out for the
nuclear deal. India has to finalize a country-specific safeguards
agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) needs to change its rules before the
deal with the US can become operational.
Government sources said the negotiators are hoping that if the
IAEA agreement, which is reportedly finalised and ready, can be
sealed and NSG approval secured in a couple of months there is still
a chance that the deal could be put to the US Congress for a final
approval in a special session before Bush ends his term in office.
But in Indian politics, where things can get curiouser and
curiouser, there is no certainty whether the deal will go through or
whether Singh and his government will survive till May 2009.
The next session of India's Parliament is due to be held in
August.
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