Left to withdraw support on July 10

This will put and end to the Left's longest collaboration with the Congress at the centre and make a trust vote for the government in Parliament inevitable in July.

Forward Block leader Debabrat Biswas said, "Whatever be the government's reply, we have decided not to support the government any more." The four Left parties will meet on Tuesday to finalise their strategy to withdraw support and a plan of action for the future.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today sent his reply to the Left parties' letter asking the government to tell them "definitely" about its intentions to go ahead with the IAEA talks by July 7. Although the government has met the Left's deadline, it has refused to spell out its IAEA plans.

Instead, in the two-page letter, Mukherjee has reiterated that the Left should support the government on the issue of the Indo-US nuclear deal and convened the last round of the meeting of nuclear committee.

"We are now ready with a draft report for consideration of the committee. A meeting to consider this is being scheduled on July 10. Early submission of the report would enable the government to take into account the committee's findings", wrote Mukherjee in his reply.

While the four Left parties have unanimously decided to pull the rug by 10 July, they are divided over the issue of attending the meeting. CPI(M) and the CPI may favour attending the committee for one last time and use the opportunity to register their protests, RSP and Forward Block feels the meeting is useless and the Left should straightaway visit Rashtrapati Bhawan with their letter of withdrawal of support.

The Left plans a nationwide campaign from July 14 to explain their position and also launch an offensive against the UPA on price rise and other issues.