By SPA,
New Delhi : A key regional party in India said on Saturday it backed the government over a nuclear energy agreement with the United States, easing concerns the pact could trigger early elections, Reuters reported.
Support from the Samajwadi Party (SP) is likely to help the Congress Party-led ruling coalition secure a parliamentary majority if communist parties carry out their threat to withdraw support in protest at the nuclear deal.
“The deal is in the interest of the nation, we should have come out in support of the deal a year ago,” SP leader Amar Singh told reporters in New Delhi.
“In politics, parties switch sides often, but we never sided with communal forces,” Amar Singh said.
He said Congress should seek a vote of confidence in parliament without any worries. “We will not vote against the government, even if the communists and other parties do,” Singh added.
With time fast running out, the government needs to seek approval for the deal from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the next international move needed to make the agreement operational.
The pact, which would give India access to U.S. nuclear fuel and technology, is potentially worth billions of dollarsto U.S. and European nuclear supplier companies and would give India more energy alternatives to drive its development.