Having waited for over three decades for the modification of the international nuclear regime in favour of India, New Delhi recognises that some things can’t really be rushed. India is also aware that China’s nuclear cooperation agreement with the US took nearly a decade and a half to get Congressional approval.

Sources here say India has no reason to be wary of a resurgent Democratic Party. Most pre-election polls say, Democrats are certain to gain control over the House of Representatives and have a good shot at winning the majority in the Senate as well.

Either outcome would mark a significant turn in the US domestic politics; while it could delay or complicate the implementation of the nuclear deal, there is no reason to believe that Democrats want to kill either the deal or the burgeoning political relationship with India.

The pre-election politicking had certainly prevented the nuclear legislation from being voted upon on the Senate floor last month. At that time, both the Republican and Democratic leaderships had assured India that the bill will indeed be taken up for a vote in the lame duck session of the current Congress.

From the very beginning, India recognised that getting strong support from the Democrats was critical from a longer term perspective on civilian nuclear cooperation with the United States.

India’s outreach to the Democrats paid off when a large section of the party voted for nuclear cooperation with India in the House International Relations Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee earlier this year. Nearly 80 per cent of the full House of Representatives voted for the legislation.

... contd.