New Delhi: Leaders of Congress and Left parties would meet here today in a bid to resolve the current stand-off over the nuclear deal following the Left threat of serious consequences if the agreement with the US is operationalised. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, will meet Left leaders this afternoon to sort out the differencs over the deal.

The Core Group of the Congress had earlier this week met here soon after party chief Sonia Gandhi's return from a tour of South Africa and decided to hold talks with Left leaders to find a way out. The Left leaders have already been talking to the leaders of the UPA-led coalition, with CPI National Secretary D Raja meeting Mukherjee yesterday.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury has also briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his party's position that it did not want the current crisis to affect the government, though it was "contingent upon the government not proceeding further with the agreement". Yechury has also held a series of meetings during the week, including those with Gandhi and Mukherjee.