UPA-Left alliance ends, Left withdraws support to Government

The four-year old ideologically incorrect alliance between the UPA and Left finally came to an end, as the Left Front announced withdrawal of support to the UPA government at the centre. Left took this decision after the Prime Minister ignored its plea on the Indo-US nuclear deal and decided to go to IAEA in order to proceed with the deal. The Left will formally withdraw support tomorrow and meet the President thereafter.

CPI(M)-led Left Front has 59 MPs in the parliament. Even though UPA has roped in Samajwadi Party, which has 39 MPs, it may still fall short of the magic number (272) to prove its majority. The Congress also got assurances from Ajit Singh's RLD and Maharashtra's RPI on the support to the government. But reports suggest that there are a few MPs in Samajwadi Party, who are against this alliance and may even revolt and join Mayawati's BSP. IT is very much clear that government will have a tough time over the next few days. BJP leader L K Advani has already dared the PM to prove his majority in the Parliament if Left withdraws support.

The Left has decided to put pressure on the President to ask the Prime Minister to seek a trust vote on the floor of the house in the wake of its withdrawal of support to the government. The sudden political development has put the government in a tight spot, as PM Dr. Manmohan Singh is in Japan to attend the G8 Summit.