October 17, 2007
@ 02:23 AM


N-deal will happen, no timeline


ON BOARD AIR INDIA ONE: As the fate of the India-US nuclear deal hung in balance, the Manmohan Singh government Tuesday underlined its commitment to the deal, saying although there is no timeline, "it will happen eventually".

A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke with US president George W Bush on phone about difficulties in the way of the nuclear deal, minister of state for external affairs Anand Sharma batted for the deal.

He said it was in "the supreme national interest" and will end India's isolation from the global nuclear order, removing the decades-old technology denial regime.

"When it will happen, I can't say. But I can say with conviction that India's return to international nuclear cooperation and the removal of the restriction regime is in the supreme national interest," Sharma told reporters accompanying the Prime Minister on his visit to South Africa.

He was replying to a question whether the government has any timeline for operationalising the nuclear deal.

"Eventually, it will happen," Sharma said in a mid-air press conference. In yet another indication that compulsions of coalition politics have forced the government to put the nuclear deal on hold, Sharma hinted that even if it were not to happen in the near future, India will not give up its larger quest for global nuclear integration.

"India will continue to seek full integration in the global nuclear mainstream," he said.

The nuclear deal, Sharma said, was an integral part of India's emergence as a major power on the global stage.

"India is an emerging power, acknowledged universally. In this chapter of India's renaissance, its isolation from the global nuclear mainstream will hurt," he said.

The government has pressed the pause button for the nuclear deal after the Left parties threatened to withdraw their crucial support if it went ahead with operationalising the agreement.

"It is not a single issue government. It will last its full term," said Sharma, hinting that the nuclear deal was slated for a long haul.

 
Categories: Congress | News

Congress contesting Assembly Constituencies in TN Election 2006

     48 seats

 


 
Categories: Congress | News | 2006

Congress to contest in 48 places

Congress, the second largest party in DPA has been allotted 48 seats by DMK for this Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2006. Another MK (M Krishnasamy) the newly appointed president for TamilNadu Congress Committee (TNCC) & DMK Leader M Karunanidhi signed the agreement today.

Actually, people are thinking that 48 seats are more than expected for Congress from DMK. But it is not so. In the last 2001 TamilNadu Assembly Election there was Moopanar Congress, widely called as Tamil Manila Congress (TMC) & INC, and both parties allied with J Jayalalitha (AIADMK) and contested in 32 (TMC) + 14 (INC) Assembly Constituencies, totally 46. So, this is the first Assembly election the Congress is facing after the merger. Also, Mr. P Chidambaram 's Congress Jananayaka Peravai (CJP), mergered with Congres, which contested in DMK 's symbol in Purasaiwakam & Kattumanarkoil. So, we have to take like last time 45 & this time its just 48.

Congress, have a very goodname this time, since we have Dr. Manmohan singh the clean handed economist as PM, and his counsel of ministers like P Chidambaram, Jaipal Reddy have very good names in general. Also, people have a better feel than its predecessor BJP. So in my opinion, Congress is worth to have 60 , but as we know *beggars have no choice*


 
Categories: Congress | News | TamilNadu Assembly Election | 2006