Gujarat elections were not referendum on Indo-US nuclear deal: Prana

New Delhi, Jan 13 (UNI) External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has ruled out any impact of results of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections on the finalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal.

''Defeat or success in an election in a provincial assembly in a federal structure like ours does not matter,'' he said in an interview with Karan Thapar for CNBC TV 18's 'India Tonight' programme to be telecast tomorrow night.

Asked if the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh election results had changed the landscape and if the UPA Government still has the capacity to go ahead with the pact, Mr Mukherjee said there was no referendum in Gujarat on the issue.

''The Gujarat elections were fought on completely different issues. I won't have the capacity if the Government is reduced to a minority. I have made it quite clear that we will not like to proceed if the Left parties withdraw support to the UPA government,'' he added.

The Minister said even the success of the Congress in Gujarat elections would not have added or reduced the capacity of the Government at the Centre on the nuclear deal.

''The elections have nothing to do with the deal. Not a single member has been added or deducted from the existing strength of various political parties in parliament,'' he added.

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