Amid talk of snap polls, the decision-making bodies of the CPI-M and the CPI will meet in the next few weeks to take stock of the latest political developments.

While dates of the meeting of the full politburo of the CPI-M are yet to be finalised, the CPI's national executive and council is already scheduled to meet in New Delhi this month end.

"Our politburo will meet whenever required. The dates are flexible. October 18 is a tentative date," CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said.

As divergence of views between the Left and the UPA on the nuclear issue remained as wide as ever, party sources said the politburo meeting would be convened whenever the UPA government went ahead with steps to operationalise the Indo-US nuclear deal. Congress president Sonia Gandhi defended the deal and said those opposing it were against development.

The Left reacted by reminding her that India was capable of developing nuclear energy on its own and there was no need to "surrender" vital interests to the United States on that plea.