India's government tried to woo a regional party on Wednesday and secure a parliamentary majority amid signs its communist allies would withdraw their support to protest a nuclear deal with the United States.
National security adviser M.K. Narayanan met leaders of the Samajwadi Party later on Wednesday to try to persuade it to back the civilian nuclear deal, seen as a landmark accord moving India's trade and diplomatic relations closer to the West.
"The prime minister, whether inside the parliament or outside, has to publicly explain the doubts raised by us," Amar Singh, a senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, said after the meeting.
"Until that happens (the SP) can't support the deal." The Left parties have given the Congress-led ruling coalition a parliamentary majority over the past four years. But they say they will withdraw support if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh moves ahead with a deal they believe makes India a Washington pawn.
The pact, which gives India access to US nuclear fuel and technology, is potentially worth billions of dollars to US and European nuclear supplier companies and would give India more energy alternatives to drive a booming, trillion-dollar economy.
If the Left parties withdraw, the government needs the support of the SP, a socialist party in Uttar Pradesh state with strong Muslim backing, to avoid losing a vote of confidence in parliament and facing an early election later this year.
Fearful the fall of the government could open the way to power for the main opposition, the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the SP has hinted it is willing to negotiate with the centre-left Congress. Congress leaders appeared upbeat at a conference in New Delhi on Wednesday. Some were even smiling.
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