Communists withdraw support for Singh coalition

(9 Jul 2008)
1. Wide of President's House
2. Wide of Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Prakash Karat getting out of car and going in for meeting
3. Wide of another car arriving
4. Cutaway, security
5. Wide of Communist Party of India leader A. B. Bardhan getting out of car
6. Cutaway journalists
7. Wide of Left party leaders walking towards media after meeting with President
8. Cutaway, media
9. SOUNDBITE (English): Prakash Karat, Leader, Communist Party of India (Marxist)
"We have met the President and all four of the left parties have submitted letters withdrawing support from the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government. We have also submitted a second letter jointly, requesting the president to direct the prime minister to face a confidence motion in the Lok Sabha (lower house) immediately."
10. Mid of dome of President's House
11. Wide of Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh arriving for meeting with president
12. Various of Singh walking towards media after meeting president
13. Cutaway, media
14. SOUNDBITE: (English): Amar Singh, Leader, Samajwadi Party:
"We have met Right Honourable President of India to reiterate the support of Samajwadi Party in favour of Congress led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government."
15. Cutaway, journalists
16. Singh walking away
STORYLINE :
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's communist allies formally withdrew their support for his four-year-old coalition government on Wednesday, in protest against the government's plan to push forward with a controversial nuclear deal with the United States.
Leaders from four communist parties met Indian President Pratibha Patil and handed her a letter to that effect.
They also demanded that the ruling coalition must prove its majority in parliament as soon as possible.
Prakash Karat, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief, had announced the decision on Tuesday following more than a week of frenzied political activity.
On Wednesday, after meeting the president, he said all four left parties had submitted letters withdrawing support from the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government.
"We have also submitted a second letter jointly", he said; "Requesting the president to direct the prime minister to face a confidence motion in the Lok Sabha (lower house) immediately."
The four communist parties that withdrew their support were not part of the coalition, but the government counted on their 59 lawmakers to ensure they won a majority in parliamentary votes.
The ruling coalition, United Progressive Alliance (UPA), is led by the Congress party, which has lined up a new socialist ally, the Samajwadi Party with 39 lawmakers, to shore up the coalition's backing in Parliament
The leader of the Samajwadi Party, Amar Singh, also met with the President on Wednesday, and reiterated his party's support for the government.
Parliamentary elections are due in India in May next year.
Earlier on Wednesday , the Indian prime minister met with US President George W. Bush on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit in Japan.
The nuclear deal - which involves the US selling India nuclear fuel and technology - has been hailed as the cornerstone of a new strategic relationship between the US and India, but the main communist party leaders say it would undermine India's weapons program and give Washington too much influence over Indian foreign policy.
India needs to sign a separate deal with the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) before the US Congress can approve the nuclear pact.
India, in exchange, would open its civilian reactors to international inspections.

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