Amar Singh discusses Indo-US nuke deal with Pranab

Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh on Monday held talks with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee here on the Indo-US nuclear deal, in the first contact between the two parties since the standoff between the UPA government and Left parties erupted a fortnight ago.

During the meeting, held at the residence of Mukherjee, the government's pointsman for the deal, Singh was understood to have been briefed about the deal and the steps India would have to take in the coming weeks to push it through.

The meeting between the two leaders came soon after Sing, whose party's 39 MPs can play a crucial role in helping the government if Left parties withdraw support, appeared to signal that it was not not averse to doing business with Congress in the context of the current crisis.