Notwithstanding the hardening of stance by the Left, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday ruled out early elections and sought to downplay the threat from the allies on the Indo-US nuclear deal as a 'known position'.
"I don't think so, because we want to have elections in due time (in 2009)," Mukherjee told NDTV when asked about the possibility of early polls.
While noting that 'many unforeseen things happen' in coalition politics, he said, "But the things you have referred to are not unforeseen because the position of Left parties is well known to us."
He was responding to the threat issued by the Left parties of withdrawal of support if the government went ahead with operationalising the Indo-US nuclear deal.
"I do not visualise that anybody is thinking of early elections. None of the coalition partners or coalition supporters are talking of early elections," Mukherjee insisted.
The Left parties, which provide crucial outside support to the government, have lately hardened their stance against operationalisation of the deal, triggering speculation of early polls.