Mulayam, Amar Singh meet Karat

New Delhi, Oct 25: Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh met Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) General Secretary Prakash Karat here today.

The fifteen minute meeting was held at the CPI-M headquarters.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yadav is also expected to meet CPI leader A B Bardhan and D Raja of the CPI-M.

On Wednesday United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) leaders met the Left parties to seek a consensus on the floor of the Parliament during discussion of the Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation agreement.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu said the UNPA is demanding a discussion in Parliament before the implementation of the bilateral deal.

The Communists also endorsed the concerns of the UNPA.

The Left's parleys with the UNPA came as the US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, Nicholas Burns, said that time is running out for the actualisation of the deal.

India needs to conclude a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, get approvals from the Nuclear Suppliers Group and a second backing from the U.S. Congress before the deal can come into force.

Although it faces no formal deadline, Washington wants the pact -- considered highly lucrative for American firms -- clinched next year before the end of Bush's term to avoid its fate becoming uncertain under a new administration.

ANI
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