The Left Front has proclaimed that a parliamentary debate would reveal that the deal has no majority support in Parliament. It is not quite clear whether the Left will withdraw its threat to revoke its support to UPA if it finds that a majority in Parliament is not against the 123 agreement. Even if does not, the defeat of the Left’s move to mobilise a parliamentary majority against the deal will humiliate the Left.

There is a good case for the NDA to support the 123 agreement after obtaining the assurances suggested by Brajesh Mishra. In case the Left and UNPA succeed in getting a resolution in Parliament for vote it is in the interest of the NDA to vote against it or abstain.

There is a legitimate complaint that there is not adequate communication between the major parties on the nuclear issue. Unfortunately the origin of this was the Shakti tests when no credit was given to the Congress prime ministers for building the nuclear arsenal. In spite of that, the UPA is continuing the policies of the NDA in national interest. It may be recalled that when a UPA minister called the Shakti tests a mistake, that was repudiated by the PM. In the same spirit, the NDA should sustain the policy it initiated with its NSSP declaration in 2003 and support the 123 agreement which is a further evolution of the NSSP. Shared national interest must prevail and party rivalries can be settled at the polls.

... contd.