As the Left demand for a written or formal assurance that the deal would be put on hold overshadowed the UPA-Left committee meeting, the Government only conceded that “operationalisation of the deal will take into account the committee’s findings”.

At a meeting of UPA leaders earlier in the day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had expressed disappointment over the U-turn by allies after being part of the Cabinet approval for the deal. Congress sources said that the PM felt let down and that he had conveyed his feelings to the allies. For the record, both the PMO and the party later claimed that this was “speculation” and there had been no such talk.

After today’s meeting it was clear that the UPA and Left were sticking to their stated positions. To the Left, operationalisation of the deal starts with the beginning of talks with the IAEA. The Government, on the other hand, maintains it begins only after the 123 Agreement comes into force.

Emerging from the meeting, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said: “The fate of the deal is open-ended.”

While External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee reiterated the PM’s October 12 remark that the UPA was not a “one-issue” government, there was no assurance about the deal being put on hold, said sources.

The Congress, sources said, was keeping all options open till the next meeting of the committee on November 16.

While the Congress sought to keep alive hopes on the deal, other UPA constituents looked at ways to avoid mid-term polls over the issue.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar asked the Left to look at this issue “from the overall perspective”, stressing on the need to take a “practical decision” since “we will need each other even in the future”.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said that nobody wanted elections and, therefore, all possible steps should be taken to avoid such a situation.

At the meeting today, the UPA reiterated its offer to hold a special session of Parliament to discuss the deal, provided the Left persuaded the BJP to allow discussion. There was also talk of advancing the winter session of Parliament in view of the Gujarat elections, but no decision was taken.

After more than two hours of deliberations, Mukherjee emerged to read out a statement: “The members of the committee expressed the hope that the issues currently before it would be addressed in an appropriate manner and the operationalisation of the deal will take into account the committee’s findings.

The discussions covered the implications of the proposed Indo-US bilateral agreement on civil nuclear cooperation, including the implications of the Hyde Act on India’s nuclear programme and its pursuit of independent foreign policy. The Committee had before it further information provided by Left parties. The UPA will reply to them in due course.”

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the process of consultations will go on. “There is no deadline or time limit. We hope it will fructify at some point of time, at some stage,” he said.