Cong rejects Left deadline, thanks SP for support

Congress expressed gratitude to Samajwadi Party for its support to the N-deal, but was non-committal on the issue of inclusion of the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party in the government.

Claiming that Samajwadi Party had conveyed its support to the nuclear deal, Congress on Friday expressed gratitude to it but was non-committal on the issue of inclusion of the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party in the government.

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"We thank Samajwadi Party for supporting the deal," Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told reporters in the capital after SP leaders Yadav and Amar Singh met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Congress leader Veerappa Moily also insisted that Yadav and Amar Singh "expressed support to the nuclear deal" and "reiterated the support" during their meeting with Gandhi.

The Congress' claim about SP conveying support to the deal came even though Yadav and Singh maintained that they had not given any "commitment so far" and would decide on it only after talking to other UNPA constituents.

The Congress, however, was non-committal on the possibility of SP being included in the Council of Ministers in case they join the government.

"It is a matter for the UPA, Prime Minister and Samajwadi Party to decide," Ahmed said.