Left feels it's ready to face early elections

NUCLEAR DEAL POLITICS IN FULL PLAY

Although they are ready to allow the government to buy time on the Indo-US nuclear deal, the four Left parties are ready to face early elections.

An internal assessment of the Left parties shows Nandigram-Singur in West Bengal and the CPI(M)'s internal feud in Kerala are no deterrent.

The CPI(M)'s biggest organisational headache is in Kerala, where the party is vertically split into two camps, with Chief Minister VS Achutanandan fighting it out with State Secretary Pinarai Vijayan.

But the Left feels an early election may cement the gap between the two. Basudeb Acharya, a Central Committee member and the leader of party in the Lok Sabsaid, "During the Assembly election too, the infighting was there but we came to power. If you look at the election results during the last few years, we have done very well."

In West Bengal, the opposition, especially Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, hopes to ride the protests in Singur and Nandigram over land acquisition for industry. Here too, the CPI(M) is confident after the win in Haldia municipal elections.

"There have been elections after Singur and Nandigram episodes. We did quite well. So these are no problem areas for us," said a CPI leader.

"We are preparing for polls. We can go for it on a seven days' notice," said Forward Block MP Debabrat Biswas.

The Left, however, is in a hurry to find other "popular" issues for elections. The Left leaders confess they can't make the Indo-US deal a poll plank.

Recently, in a private conversation, CPI General Secretary AB Bardhan said, "Can we explain the Hyde Act, the 123 agreement and things like this to the villagers of Bihar, Bengal, Kerala and other places?" So the Left plans to step up agitation on issues like price rise, unorganised workers Bill and agriculture.

The Left parties are meeting tomorrow to gauge the response of other political parties, especially the UPA allies, as the government has been virtually served a notice to not proceed with the deal.

Forward Block leader Debabrat Biswas said, "We have to assess the situation arising out of our opposition to the nuclear deal. In the meantime, if the government responds to us, that will get priority in our discussion."

The four Left parties will try to see how other parties are placed in case of an early election. This is crucial as the Left has to keep in mind the sensitivities of possible allies.

They are also expected to reiterate their united stand. It's unlikely they will decide on withdrawal of support or shifting gear to issue-based support to the government at tomorrow's meeting, but wait for the government to spell out its strategy.

Abani Roy of the RSP said, "There are many areas in the common minimum programme which have been neglected by the government. We will like to take stock of that."

Meanwhile, snubbing the BJP as a "pro-imperialist" party, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat ruled out any truck between the two, though both were opposed to the nuclear deal.

Boasting their anti-US stand, Karat accused the BJP of hobnobbing with the US. He said, "We do not share the views of the BJP on the matter (nuclear deal) since their approach has been to bargain with the United States for a favourable nuclear adjustment while accepting the status of a subordinate ally of the US."

The BJP wanted to join hands with Left parties to aggressively attack the government on the issue. Leader of Opposition LK Advani had earlier spoken to Karat and CPI leader AB Bardhan to discuss the NDA's proposed motion for a parliamentary debate on the issue.

As the Left rejected their proposal, BJP President Rajnath Singh accused the Left of being non-serious. Karat today shot back saying, "The six-year record of the BJP-led government was infamous for its kowtowing to the US. The Jaswant Singh-Strobe Talbot secret talks, the visit of LK Advani to the CIA headquarters and the eagerness of the NDA government to become a 'natural ally' of the US to the extent of considering sending Indian troops to Iraq will not be forgotten by the Indian people."

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) has called a meeting of its Central Committee on 22-23.

POINT/ COUNTERPOINT
(Why the Left opposes the Indo-US nuclear deal and what the government says)

Left: The Hyde Act passed by the US Congress implies India will be bound into a strategic alliance with the United States. This has adverse consequences for an independent foreign policy, sovereignty and the economic interests of the people.

Annual certification by the president of the United States is part of the Hyde Act. This means the US president will have to give a "good conduct" certificate to India before the US fulfils its side of the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement. This means the agreement could be terminated on any grounds ranging from Iran to climate change to Afghanistan.

Government: President Bush has said he views the clauses to which the Left parties refer as purely advisory. In any case, this is a US law and does not apply to India.

Left: Under the Hyde Act, if this agreement is terminated, the US will not help India tide over the "disruption" but will have to work with the 45 countries in the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) countries to stop all supplies.

Government: The 123 agreement states the US will help India get nuclear fuel from other NSG suppliers if the agreement breaks down (that is, if India tests). Even then, multi-layered consultations and extenuating circumstances - like a neighbour testing - are built into the 123.

Left: It is now clear that full access to technology for the fuel cycle will not be available to India. The prime minister has essentially confirmed this. The only concession secured is a "forward-looking language".

Government: Some things are always left purposely vague in international agreements.

Left: The prime minister has emphasised the gains made with regard to the right to reprocess spent US fuel. However, this is only a notional right

Government: If only you knew how much we had to fight for this...

Left: Given that a majority in Parliament does not support the nuclear cooperation deal, the government should not proceed with the agreement.

Government: International agreements are not subject to parliamentary ratification. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has okayed it. We brought it to Parliament as a matter of courtesy.