The details of this political mechanism — its duration and its terms of reference — agreed upon by the CPI and the CPM today, will be finalized after Congress negotiators conclude talks with the two other Left parties Forward Bloc and RSP. Before giving the final OK, the Left parties will also discuss it among themselves.

Those involved in negotiations said that the mechanism could take the form of a UPA-Left “political committee” headed by troubleshooter External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and experts could be roped in for their inputs. Sources said its timeframe was likely to provide at least a month-long breather to both sides. “We reiterated our position to the government in this first round of talks. We are expecting something concrete by this month end,” said CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury who, along with party general secretary Prakash Karat, had an hour-long meeting with Mukherjee, Ahmad Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Defence Minister A K Antony this evening.

The government’s interlocutors had a meeting with a CPI delegation earlier in the day. “We wanted a political mechanism and not an expert mechanism. In today’s meeting, it was decided that such a mechanism should be worked out,” CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said after the meeting.

Left leaders maintained there was no climbdown from their stated position that no formal negotiations on the deal be held until the committee gives its report. The Congress had a different interpretation, though. As no formal agreement is going to be inked in September when the DAE chief is expected to visit Vienna, the Left’s arguments do not hold much significance, said Congress sources. They cited the BJP’s turnaround in support of the deal — as evident in L K Advani’s statement yesterday — as a sign of how public opinion isn’t in sync with the Left’s.