The Communist Party of India - Marxist on Monday foresaw the possibility of sorting out the differences between the Manmohan Singh government and the Left parties on the India-United States nuclear agreement. The party stated that the date for the next meeting of the UPA-Left panel would be decided in a day or two.
"Something will be worked out hopefully in the next meeting," said party general secretary Prakash Karat at the end of the two-day politburo meeting in New Delhi.
However, Karat made it clear that even though both the sides had put forward their viewpoint, ''the good thing is that the government has not gone to talk to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Supplies Group."
The CPI-M leader insisted that if he was asking for the next meeting, it meant something.
"If there is no possibility of something to be worked out, why should we agree to such a meeting," Karat said.
He did not elaborate, but hinted that some sort of reconciliation was possible.
Referring to the meeting between him, CPI leader A B Bardhan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, he said the Left Front had suggested, "Let us have another meeting where we can attempt once more to sort out the matter. You know that five meetings of the panel have already taken place."
On a debate on the nuclear agreement in the Parliament, Karat expressed hope that all political parties would realise the importance of the 'sense of the House' on the matter.
The UPA- Left panel's scheduled meeting on November 16 was deferred on the suggestion of the Left parties who argued that it would be appropriate if the meeting was held after the nuclear deal was debated in Parliament and the views expressed there could also be placed before the panel.
The winter session of the Parliament commences on November 15 and the government and the Left have agreed that the discussion on the deal will be held at the beginning of the session.