Cabinet to decide date for Confidence Vote tonight

New Delhi, Jul 11 (UNI) UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today said that the Government would stand by the Prime Minister's pledge that it would operationalise the Indo-US nuclear deal only after seeking vote of confidence in Parliament.

Addressing a meeting of UPA partners at the Prime Minister's residence here, she informed the leaders that the PM had handed over a letter to President Pratibha Patil asking her to convene a special Parliament session at the earliest.

The Union Cabinet tonight will decide the date for the Special Session and the date will be communicated to the President, Leader of House in the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee told reporters after the meeting. He said all the UPA constituents were united and there was no confusion. Sources, however, indicate that date of the vote of confidence would be either July 22 or 23.

Mrs Gandhi appreciated the role played by the Left parties in extending support to the government for the last four years, but regretted that it could not carry on for the nuclear deal. She also thanked the Samajwadi Party for supporting the UPA at this crucial juncture.

Railway Minister and RJD Chief Lalu Prasad said the Left parties had left the UPA under their own compulsions and confusion. ''We are all together to face the situation,'' he said.

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