By IANS,
New Delhi : With the Left sharpening its claws over the India-US civil nuclear deal, the Bharaiya Janata Party (BJP) warned Thursday that the Congress-led government could collapse by Aug 15.
“We are giving this government time till August 15,” senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu told IANS. “We will prefer early (general) elections.”
Saying the BJP was in election mode, anticipating an early fall of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Naidu met BJP leader and its prime ministerial hopeful L.K. Advani Thursday morning.
Reluctant to reveal the BJP’s strategy in case the Left withdrew its support to the UPA government over the nuclear issue, Naidu said: “We will decide on a no-confidence motion when the time comes. But we have gone into full election gear.”
He was confident that the last word on the fate of the UPA government had been spoken by its most crucial allies – the Left parties.
“We need not wait for the UPA-Left meeting on June 25 for a final decision,” said Naidu. Congress and Left leaders will meet June 25 to take a final view on the India-specific nuclear safeguards agreement New Delhi needs to sign with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Ahead of Aug 15, Naidu warned of turmoil during parliament’s monsoon session in July.
The BJP could bring a no-confidence motion against the government if the Left withdrew its legislative backing to the government, he said.
“The nuclear deal will not have to be voted in parliament. But there will be other bills that will have to be voted. We have no sympathy for this government,” said Naidu.