Trial of strength in Parliament needed to ascertain majority: BJP

New Delhi, Jul 8 (UNI) Stating that the withdrawal of support of the Left parties to the UPA had come a little late in the day, the BJP today said a trial of strength in the Lok Sabha was the surest way to know if the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government enjoyed majority in the House.

Reacting to the announcement of the Left parties withdrawing their support to the Centre, Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters that the party wanted the government to show its majority in the Lok Sabha.

The government must go as soon as possible, he said, adding, ''We are not interested in forming a government but to go to the people for their mandate on the performance of the four-year-old government.'' He also said the BJP did not consider any political party ''untouchable'' and the objective was to defeat the government on the floor of the House, but refused to answer if the party would bring a No-Confidence motion.

These details would be discussed by the party leaders today and the NDA leaders tomorrow, he said.

The communist and Left parties, he said, did not withdraw their support from the UPA government on burning issues like mishandling of the economy, price rise, inflation and handling of terrorism but chose to withdraw it on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

The Samajwadi Party, which had vehemently opposed the nuclear deal, did a volte face by changing their stance on the deal.

''What is the deal behind the deal? We want to ask?'' he sought to know. It was absurd on the part of SP leader Amar Singh to dub BJP stalwart LK Advani a bigger danger than United States President George W Bush.

''If Mr Singh feels whatever Mr Bush did in Iraq was correct, he was free to have an alliance with him also but he should not compare Mr Advani with any head of any foreign government.'' ''However SP should explain the people about the U-turn,'' he said. To a question that NDA's constituent Akali Dal had stated that the nuclear deal was in India's interests, Mr Naidu said he had no information about it. When similar doubts were raised regarding Shiv Sena, he said the party had clarified appropriately.

''Their stand is no different than that of the NDA,'' Mr Naidu said.

UNI MCN/KAS SYU CS1731