The Communist Party of India-Marxist, which threatened to rock the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre over the crucial Indo-US nuclear deal, seems to be focussing on the controversial issue in its ongoing 19^th party Congress.

The Left party has reiterated that the deal was against the country's interests.

The party Congress, which is debating the political resolution in the morning session of the third day on Monday, is likely to spell out its stand on the issue through a political resolution.

It remains to be seen whether the party, which is providing outside support to the UPA government, will throw an ultimatum to the Congress on the crucial issue.

The recent visit by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukerjee, who reportedly 'bought time' from US President George Bush [Images] to implement the deal, seemed to have not convinced the Left parties to dilute their stand.

The CPI-M, which held several rounds of consultations among themselves and with top leaders Prakash Karat and its CPI counterpart A B Bardhan, is expected to come out with its clear cut stand by Monday evening.

The Congress party, meanwhile, is keenly watching the development in the ongoing CPM Congress and looking forward to the much-awaited decision.

In the event of Left parties deciding to withdraw support forcing a mid-term poll for the Lok Sabha both the sides have a lot to lose, as the shadow-boxing between them will have an impact on the poll outcome, political observers point out.

Knowing well that CPI-M is ideologically opposed to the nuclear deal and that it would not have a direct bearing on the electorate, the Congress party is confident of facing people, but not before bringing down the spiralling prices of essential commodities and the rate of inflation, which have touched an all-time high of 6.5 per cent in the last 13 months.

Realising that the nuclear deal issue would not help the party to make an impact in the coming elections, the CPI-M has taken up the price issue, which has severely hit the working class and common people.

The party had already announced that it would launch a nationwide campaign after April 15 against rising prices of essential commodities. This has forced the UPA government to convene an emergency meeting in a bid to check the price rise.

The CPI-M Congress, which has three days left for deliberations, is also likely to give a shape to its much-talked about third alternative.

With most regional parties having aligned either with the Congress-led UPA or the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, the Left parties had the limited option of pulling out parties in the UNPA.

Sensing this, the Congress had already started wooing former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu is already with the Congress and Left parties have to rope in the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh, Sharad Pawar's [Images] National Congress Party, Janata Dal headed by George Fernandes [Images], the Biju Janata Dal and the Assom Gana Parishad among others.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, which was in the UNPA, had already pulled out from the front and started moving closer to the BJP.