US Nuclear Deal Could Spell End for India's PM

Singh struggles to survive as Delhi seeks energy accord
By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 1, 2008 5:30 AM CDT
US Nuclear Deal Could Spell End for India's PM
Indian PM Manmohan Singh and Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi. India's leaders considered pushing ahead with a US-India nuclear deal, a move that could lead to early elections.    (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan, File)

India's government is approaching the breaking point over a proposed nuclear deal with the US, reports the New York Times. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is desperate to push through legislation that will let the US give India access to fuel and technology for nuclear plants. But the accord could cost him the support of several small Communist parties, triggering an election that Singh might lose.

Yesterday Singh made an explicit appeal to his government's Communist allies to let the deal go through, but the leftists oppose the deal for bringing India too close to the US. Singh wants the nuclear issue wrapped up by next week, when he will meet with President Bush at the G8 summit. Several top officials, however, admitted that the prime minister might stake political survival over the nuclear deal. (More India stories.)

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