NEW DELHI, July 23 (UPI) -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress-led coalition won a crucial trust vote, allowing it to move forward with the Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear deal.
After two days of intense debate in Parliament, cross-voting and amid charges of vote-buying against all parties, Singh's government earned a comfortable 275-256 win Tuesday night, with 10 abstentions, in the lower house.
The vote was called after the leftist parties in Singh's coalition withdrew support to protest the government's decision to proceed with getting a "safeguards agreement" with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The 3-year-old nuclear deal still must go to the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group and then obtain U.S. congressional ratification before it becomes effective.
Singh's victory was a major blow to the leftist parties which had joined other regional parties to bring down the government, the Press Trust of India reported. The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party had hoped a defeat would lead to early elections.
The Indian government says the country needs the nuclear deal with the United States to end its international isolation and meet its soaring energy needs. The pact will allow India to get access to U.S. civilian nuclear technology and fuel. In exchange, India must bring only its civilian nuclear sites and not its nuclear weapons facilities under inspection.
