Gandhi meets DMK leader T R Baalu

Congress President Sonia Gandhi meets DMK leader TR Baalu as part of exercise to consult UPA constituents over the stand-off with Left on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday met DMK leader TR Baalu as part of exercise to consult UPA constituents over the stand-off with Left on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

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Emerging from the 30-minute meeting, Baalu said his party was in favour of both "the government as well as the comrades" and ruled out possibility of early elections.

"The discussions will culminate into better prospects only," the DMK leader, who is Shipping and Surface Transport Minister, told reporters.

Baalu sounded optimistic about the outcome of tomorrow's meeting of the UPA-Left committee on the nuclear deal saying, "if there is any problem there is a solution. Definitely, government will come out successful in dealing with the problem."

Insisting that there was no "imminent threat" to the Congress-led government, he said "I do not think there will be any early election."

Top leaders of the UPA constituents, including NCP chief Sharad Pawar, RJD's Lalu Prasad and LJP's Ram Vilas Paswan, discussed the stalemate on the nuclear deal with Gandhi Monday evening.

Left parties have ruled out any change in the stand of total opposition to the deal.

CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat met Pawar after the NCP chief's meeting with Gandhi and discussed the current situation.