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CPI(M): SP’s volte-face on nuclear deal

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has said that the Samajwadi Party did a “complete volte-face” on the India-U.S. civilian nuclear deal, which enabled the Prime Minister and the Congress leadership to go ahead to the next stage of operationalising the deal.

Till recently, the SP was firmly opposing the deal and Mulayam Singh, being the Chairman of the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), had issued statements against the deal.

“The betrayal of their own stand and of the UNPA came along with their making a deal with the Congress. Cases against Mr. Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh and corporate interests were involved. Their other main concern was how to counter Mayawati and the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh. They feared that in the given situation, the BSP would sweep the Lok Sabha elections. They also felt the necessity to get protection of the Central government from Mayawati’s attacks and cases against their leaders,” the CPI (M) said.

In a note on the current situation and the party’s approach as approved by the Central Committee in its July 19-20 meeting, the CPI (M) said the Congress also realised that it would be liquidated in U.P. if it fought alone. “This mutual need led to the understanding that the SP will support the nuclear deal and extend support to the government and they would work out seat sharing understanding in U.P,” it said.

The Central Committee expected the Lok Sabha elections to be held along with elections in five States in November or December.

It said that in the current political situation the party would have to work to isolate the BJP, which “spearheads the communal forces” and also oppose the Congress which had been instrumental in forging a strategic alliance with the U.S. “Our attitude to the other non-Congress parties and non-BJP parties will be determined by their attitude to the BJP or the Congress. We have to see what will be the relation of the UPA partners to the Congress,” the note, in its analysis, said.

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