123 pact to be discussed sans voting

When a small delegation of the Left leaders met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this morning to discuss, among other things, the nuclear deal, Singh's reply to them was uncharacteristically sharp: "Don't harass us."

However, when it came to the discussion on the nuclear deal in Parliament, the Congress chose discretion over valour. The 123 Agreement will be discussed in the Lok Sabha under Rule 193, which does not entail voting, to spare the government and the Left parties the embarrassment of being seen on the opposite sides.

At the meeting with the Speaker Somnath Chatterjee before the discussion, the government will opt for a discussion under Rule 193, sources say. The BJP has demanded a discussion under Rule 184, which entails voting. It is the government which decides under which rule a matter should be discussed in Parliament.

The Lok Sabha is scheduled to start the two-day discussion on the agreement on Monday after the prime minister's suo motu statement.

The Congress is making special efforts to ensure that its MPs are trained in the nuances of the agreement so that the Opposition can get a fitting reply. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will hold a session to brief the party MPs. Special care has been taken to select the MPs who will speak on the issue.

The MPs will also be given lessons on various aspects of Indo-US relations. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi issued letters to the MPs for this today.

The government is getting ready to face sharp criticism, not just from the NDA and the Left but also the Samajwadi Party, which recently withdrew its support to the government over the issue. Congress floor managers are worried about the stand of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) as well.

Intense discussion have taken place between the Left and the Congress in the last few days on how to approach the debate. The government was initially worried that the Left, pushed into a corner, might have to vote against the deal to save face. To avoid this, the Congress brass made it clear within the party that a defeat on the floor of the House could doom the government.

To bridge the gulf with the Left, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up CPI(M)'s Prakash Karat, and CPI leaders AB Bardhan and D Raja, to discuss the issue. The leader of the CPI(M) in the Rajya Sabha, Sitaram Yechury, has been assured that the his party's objections have been addressed. During Party President Sonia Gandhi's dinner on Wednesday, Mukherjee spoke to Karat and Bardhan.

The Left parties were irritated when Dasmunsi said a few days ago that the government was ready to face a vote on the nuclear deal. The CPI(M) and the CPI publicly accepted this challenge, making the Congress realise its mistake.

Under the circumstances, both sides felt the safest path was to ask for a discussion under Rule 193. Several members from the CPI(M) have given notices under this rule.