The government-Left stalemate on the Indo-US nuclear deal heightened on Wednesday forcing postponement of a scheduled round of meeting between them in the evening and the outside supporters of United Progressive Alliance sticking to their guns on their opposition.
The two sides saw no meeting ground with the Left parties asking the government not to go ahead with seeking approval of the text of the India-specific safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, a plea the ruling coalition has been making with the Left for a long time.
After late night parleys between Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Prakash Karat and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and a round of meeting between Sitaram Yechury and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the government suddenly conveyed postponement of the ninth round of the meeting.
No reason was given for the last minute postponement, but Left leaders linked it to the ministers being preoccupied with the visit of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
CPI leader A B Bardhan said they have been told by the government that the meeting will now be held on June 25.
In the face of continuing deadlock, ruling UPA sources said the government was keen on pushing ahead with the deal, but there was no unanimity on the issue.
A senior Congress leader, who did not want to be quoted, however, felt that the government was not going to benefit from such a move in the face of strident opposition from the Left supporters who may withdraw support and force early polls.
The Left parties, which met in the evening, said they have not been able to form any opinion on the text of the safeguards agreement nor has the UPA-Left Committee arrived at its findings.