New Delhi: The UPA-Left Committee on the nuclear deal is expected to meet on March 12 or 13, even as the CPI(M) has sought to delink the issue with elections and said these were different matters.

"This issue (nuclear deal) and elections are different issues," party General Secretary Prakash Karat told a press conference when asked whether the Left would withdraw support to the UPA if the government proceeded with the agreement.

He also said the Left was in "no hurry" to know about what transpired at the IAEA meeting in Vienna on the India- specific safeguards agreement.

"We are not in a hurry. We will see what they (government) say in the committee. ... I cannot presume what is there in the text (of the draft safeguards agreement) as I am not party to the negotiations," Karat said.

Meanwhile, sources said the meeting of the UPA-Left Committee was likely to be held on March 12 or 13.

Karat's remarks came in the backdrop of his CPI counterpart's letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh threatening to withdraw support if the government went ahead with the nuclear deal.

Following reports that the draft agreement had been finalised, Karat had earlier this week written to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the UPA-Left panel, to convene a meeting by March 15.

The CPI(M) General Secretary said Mukherjee was holding talks with other parties to convene the meeting on a mutually convenient date

Source : PTI