New Delhi, Oct. 26: Among the early callers congratulating Pranab Mukherjee on his new assignment was US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, assuring him that the Bush administration was pushing hard to get the civilian nuclear deal approved by the US Congress.

Rice called yesterday after Mukherjee took over as foreign minister.

She is understood to have told Mukherjee that the US administration would try its best to get the crucial piece of legislation passed by the Congress during next month’s lame duck session.

If the November session — held after elections to both Houses of the Congress — fails to take up the nuclear deal, it could lead to the whole legislative process being started afresh next year.

In case the Democrats win the elections, the delay could prove even more crucial.

Rice’s assurance allays such apprehensions to an extent.

The US secretary of state is also understood to have assured the Indian foreign minister that the Bush administration was still pushing for a deal which did not stray from the commitments Washington made in joint statements on July 18, 2005, and March 2, 2006.

As defence minister, Mukherjee had signed a framework agreement, scaling up defence cooperation between the two countries.

That agreement was also seen as paving the way for a deeper Indo-US engagement — through a civilian nuclear deal, for example.