Date:10/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/10/stories/2008071055691200.htm

National

Sonia convenes CWC meeting

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Congress President Sonia Gandhi has convened a meeting of the Congress Working Committee — the highest decision-making body — on Friday to discuss the current political situation.

As the party braces itself to face a no-confidence vote in Parliament on the India-U.S. nuclear deal on which the Left parties withdrew support to the government, party spokesman Manish Tewari on Wednesday said the UPA had sought support “from all” on the deal, which is in national interest.

“We have asked for support across the political spectrum. We had even asked Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics for supporting the deal,” he said while stressing that the party was “neither wheeling, dealing nor stealing” to win.

However, political observers said although the Congress was pronouncing that it had the numbers, it could be a close call. Besides the Samajwadi Party, which gave its letter of support to President Pratibha Patil, the party was banking on abstentions to get the numbers of “those present and voting.”

It is expected that the Shiromani Akali Dal, with eight MPs, may not want to topple a government headed by the country’s first Sikh Prime Minister. SAD has not yet revealed its position.