Sonia gives green light to N-deal
The Congress president is understood to have given the green light to prime minister Manmohan Singh to go ahead with the nuclear deal even if it means losing the government at the Centre.
By Girish Kuber, ET Bureau |
MUMBAI: Sonia Gandhi, it seems, has decided to bite the bullet. The Congress president is understood to have given the green light to prime minister Manmohan Singh to go ahead with the nuclear deal even if it means losing the government at the Centre.
���The Congress now will not compromise with the Left to stay in power,��� a top functionary of the UPA told ET. With Ms Gandhi sending out a message that she is firmly behind prime minister Manmohan Singh on the issue, all other leaders too have come around by now.
���The party���s entire decision-making body now wants to go for the kill,��� this senior leader said. The Congress is confident that the NCP and the RJD, its existing alliance partners, too would agree to its stand. This tough posturing not withstanding, the Congress has also been giving thought to the political fallout of a break up with the Left. The party looks at the current impasse as a ���golden opportunity��� to spruce up its image. ���If we take the deal even a step further the nation ��� and of course we ��� will gain. And if we fail, we can go to people as martyrs,��� a senior Congress leader who is a part of the party think-tank on the issue confided with ET. ���This will give us a chance to present our nationalist face.���
According to party insiders this, however, is second option the party is looking at. Before it rocks the UPA boat, the Congress has also decided to try to bring in more allies on board. ���This is being done not only for saving the Manmohan Singh government, but also to have strong partners when we go to polls,��� a Congress leader explained.
As part of this two-prong strategy the party will try to win over Samajwadi Party and simultaneously will prepare to face the International Atomic Energy Agency with India-specific safeguard agreement. But the Congress leadership is absolutely clear that it will stay on its course ���with or without SP���, sources said.Though India has agreed on a draft agreement with the IAEA, the Manmohan Singh government has not been able to finalise it due to the Left���s stubborn opposition.
���The Congress now will not compromise with the Left to stay in power,��� a top functionary of the UPA told ET. With Ms Gandhi sending out a message that she is firmly behind prime minister Manmohan Singh on the issue, all other leaders too have come around by now.
���The party���s entire decision-making body now wants to go for the kill,��� this senior leader said. The Congress is confident that the NCP and the RJD, its existing alliance partners, too would agree to its stand. This tough posturing not withstanding, the Congress has also been giving thought to the political fallout of a break up with the Left. The party looks at the current impasse as a ���golden opportunity��� to spruce up its image. ���If we take the deal even a step further the nation ��� and of course we ��� will gain. And if we fail, we can go to people as martyrs,��� a senior Congress leader who is a part of the party think-tank on the issue confided with ET. ���This will give us a chance to present our nationalist face.���
According to party insiders this, however, is second option the party is looking at. Before it rocks the UPA boat, the Congress has also decided to try to bring in more allies on board. ���This is being done not only for saving the Manmohan Singh government, but also to have strong partners when we go to polls,��� a Congress leader explained.
As part of this two-prong strategy the party will try to win over Samajwadi Party and simultaneously will prepare to face the International Atomic Energy Agency with India-specific safeguard agreement. But the Congress leadership is absolutely clear that it will stay on its course ���with or without SP���, sources said.Though India has agreed on a draft agreement with the IAEA, the Manmohan Singh government has not been able to finalise it due to the Left���s stubborn opposition.
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