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UPA allies oppose early election

— Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

FOR RESOLVING IMPASSE: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad leaves after meeting UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi on Monday.

NEW DELHI: Key United Progressive Alliance (UPA) leaders on Monday opposed early general election and told chairperson Sonia Gandhi that efforts should be made to break the logjam on the India-U.S. nuclear deal between the government and the Left through dialogue.

Ms. Gandhi initiated the process of consultation with major allies, who said they backed the nuclear deal but did not favour “sacrificing the government” for it, as the time was not conducive because of the present high inflation.

Ms. Gandhi met Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and Lok Jan Shakti leader Ram Vilas Paswan.

Later, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat met Mr. Pawar at his residence.

Mr. Pawar told journalists: “I believe that it can be resolved through dialogue. In a democracy the process of dialogue should be on.”

Asked whether the deal was worth sacrificing a critical partner like the Left, with whom the Congress may have to do business after the next general election, he asked “Why that question?”

After the meeting with Ms. Gandhi, Mr. Lalu Prasad said the nuclear deal was good for the country as it would help meet its energy requirements. “Nuclear deal is important, the government should also continue in power and we have to do our best to tame inflation.”

Asserting that the Left parties and the UPA were “together,” he said the allies contested elections on the common mandate of keeping the communal forces away. “The Left and the UPA would not allow the dream of the saffron party [to come to power] to come true. We are together and we need to explain to our Left partners—in a cordial atmosphere--the need to remain so. Through dialogue any problem can be resolved.”

Mr. Prasad was against early election, citing the rising prices of essential commodities and floods in the northeast.

Mr. Paswan favoured the nuclear deal but with the support of the Left parties.

The Congress said the government would take the safeguards agreement forward at the International Atomic Energy Agency only if there was agreement on it at the UPA-Left panel meeting.

The Samajwadi Party denied reports that it was in favour of the deal.

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