Calcutta, March 4: CPM patriarch Jyoti Basu today called for “more discussions” between the Congress-led Centre and the Left to avoid early elections over the nuclear deal.

“I heard Pranab Mukherjee said the Hyde Act had no bearing on the 123 Agreement. But our party does not agree to that view. If there is nothing to be worried about, the government should hold more discussions with us and others,” the former Bengal chief minister said.

“Let us see how much we can mutually concede. But I don’t know whether they will listen to us.”

Foreign minister Mukherjee had yesterday said India’s rights and obligations regarding civil nuclear cooperation with America arose only from their bilateral 123 Agreement while the Hyde Act was a domestic provision.

Basu said the Left was backing the government as both were “dependent on each other” for keeping communal forces at bay, but conceded that he didn’t know “how long” the relationship would “survive”.

He welcomed the foreign minister’s assurance that the government would try to work out a “broadbased” political consensus.

“This is a good gesture. But does he know how difficult it is to reach a consensus on this issue?” he said.

Asked if the CPM would withdraw support if the Centre went ahead with talks with the Nuclear Suppliers Group, he said: “We have to consider it if they proceed without paying heed to us and don’t care for the opinion of most of the Parliament members.”

The veteran Marxist evaded a direct answer when asked if the government’s fall would adversely affect the Left’s poll prospects. “If it happens, let it be so,” he said.

Basu’s comments came a day before representatives of the Congress’s central allies RJD and NCP share the dais with Samajwadi leaders, CPM chief Prakash Karat and CPI national secretary D. Raja at a Delhi event to “mobilise” people against the government’s “pro-US and pro-Israel foreign policy”.

Sources said a letter would be sent to all MPs on the UPA’s Israel “tilt”.