Efforts will be made to bring around Left on N-deal: Paswan

As the standoff over the nuclear deal continues, Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday said efforts will be made to convince the Left parties that the agreement with the United States was in the "best interest" of the country.

Paswan expressed hope that discussions between the United Progressive Alliance government and its Left allies will throw open a door to the resolution of the imbroglio.

"The nuclear deal is in favour of the country, but we have to ensure that Left should also be convinced on the deal," he told PTI.

He said the UPA allies will "get into talks to ensure that the Left parties also support the deal which is in the national interest."

Asked whether the allies will authorise UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to take a final call on the matter, he evaded a direct answer but said he was sure that she will come up with the "best decision" which will be in the national interest.

Expressing hope that the differences over the deal will be narrowed down, he said, "We will convince them because everything can be resolved through discussions. They are our allies for the past four years."

When pointed out that the Left parties were adamant on the issue, he said that there is nothing in the world which cannot be resolved through talks.

He also refuted suggestions that the crisis over the matter will lead to the fall of the government. "There is no threat to the government. The government will complete its full term," he said.

Top leaders of the UPA constituents, including Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Rashtriya Janata Dal's Lalu Prasad and Paswan, have discussed with Sonia about the efforts to resolve the stalemate on Monday evening.

A crucial meeting of the UPA-Left committee on the nuclear deal is scheduled on Wednesday.

UPA allies like RJD, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and LJP, who were firmly backing the government on the deal, have said that the agreement was in the interest of the nation.

The allies have, however, said the government should take in due consideration the viewpoints of the Left in the matter.

The Left parties have already made it clear that they will vote against the government if it moves ahead with the N-deal.