New Delhi: After a continuously escalating crisis, that played itself out for over two weeks, the Left Front partners on today finally got around to announcing withdrawal of support to the UPA government over the issue of the Indo-US nuclear deal. Their decision to withdraw support was taken a day after prime minister, Manmohan Singh, declared that government would "very soon" approach the IAEA to move forward on the deal.

This, for the Left Front, was the crossing of the rubicon, for they had warned the UPA government in no uncertain terms that it could not go to the IAEA without its go-ahead.

Minutes after the Left Front withdrew support, the Samajwadi Party held a press conference where the party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav announced that his party will give unconditional support to the government. He also said that his party supported the nuclear deal and would mobilise party members to inform the people about the benefits of the deal.

On being asked whether his party would join the government, he said that they would not.

The Left Front partners, the CPM, CPI, Forward Bloc and the RSP, have sought an appointment with president Pratibha Patil on Wednesday to submit their letter of withdrawal of support, according to CPM general secretary, Prakash Karat. The Left Front partners held an hour-long meeting before arriving at an unanimous decision.

Karat said they would also ask the president to direct the prime minister to seek a trust vote to prove his majority in the Lok Sabha.

The Left parties have also cancelled the scheduled meeting of the UPA-Left committee on the deal to be held on 10 July in view of the PM's statement that the government would be proceeding to Vienna to firm up the agreement.

Karat said that the Left will formally withdraw support on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the NDA has called an emergency meeting of all its constituents, as well as its chief ministers, tomorrow.