Karat meets Maya; CPI(M), BSP agree to oppose N-deal: Karat

New Delhi, Jul 13 (UNI) The CPI(M) and the BSP, the two parties which have withdrawn their support to the UPA government at the Centre last week, today agreed to coordinate their struggle against the Indo-US nuclear deal and vote out the Manmohan Singh dispensation on July 22 when the Lok Sabha will dispose of a confidence motion.

The two parties finalised their strategies at a meeting between CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and BSP supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati here.

The meeting, the first between the two since the political developments that have forced the UPA government to seek a trust vote on the nuke deal, was held at the instance of Mr Karat who drove to the residence of Mayawati.

Ms Mayawati had agreed to join the struggle against the deal, Mr Karat told reporters after the meeting that lasted about 45 minutes.

The CPI(M) and the BSP have turned against the government following the government's decision to go ahead with the nuclear agreement and the Samajwadi Party getting closer to the Congress respectively. The Left has 60 MPs and the BSP 17 members in the Lok Sabha.

Mr Karat, who announced the withdrawal of the Left support to the government on July 8, has gone on record, stating that the Communist parties would make all efforts to vote out the government on the deal.

Ms Mayawati addressed a press conference yesterday, accusing the UPA government of expediting the CBI case against her for allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income at the instance of the Samajwadi Party. At the same time, the Centre was soft-pedalling a similar case against SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, she added.

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