Even as it prepared to face its first trial of strength in the Lok Sabha on July 22, the UPA on Friday positioned itself for a reapproachment with Left parties in a post nuclear deal situation, acknowledging their role and support to the government in the last four years despite last week’s bitter breakup.
UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi took the lead in lauding the Left contribution at a meeting of the ruling alliance this morning at the Prime Minister?s residence. ??Without their support, the UPA could not have been formed and a good deal of what we achieved would not have been possible,?? she told the members. She added that the time now was to ??look ahead?? after the Left?s exit.
Separately, a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) this evening also endorsed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh?s decision to push ahead with the nuclear deal. In the 90-minute-long meeting, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi, also a party general secretary, said the deal was in national interest and the party should launch a nationwide campaign along this line.
Earlier in the day, a meeting of the Cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs (CCPA) was also convened by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee which decided to hold a two-day special session of the Lok Sabha on July 21 and 22 to take up the vote of confidence
In the UPA meeting, Sonia Gandhi also thanked the Samajwadi Party for pledging support to the UPA. ??I have no doubt that we shall prove our majority,?? Gandhi said in her opening remarks at a meeting of the UPA Coordination Committee where the Prime Minister also explained the developments related to the nuclear deal. The strategy session also discussed the numbers in the Lok Sabha in favour of the government with the assessment that the opposition would not be able to defeat the confidence motion.
The 90-minute meeting at the Prime Minister?s residence was attended among others by home minister Shivraj Patil, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, defence minister AK Antony, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his NCP counterpart Sharad Pawar, DMK’s TR Baalu and Mehbooba Mufti of PDP. JMM MP Hemlal Murmu was present at the meeting. There has been speculation amid speculation that the five-MP strong Jharkhand outfit was unhappy with the Congress since JMM chief Shibu Soren was not re-inducted in the Government. LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan was not present at the meeting as he is away in London. Also absent was AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who was attending to some family matter in Hyderabad.
