Terming as "belated" the Left parties' decision to withdraw support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the Shiv Sena on Tuesday reiterated it would remain with the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the event of a trust vote.

Shiv Sena legislator Sanjay Raut told IANS his party "was, is and will always continue to be with the NDA" - and will act accordingly.

He added that the Left parties could have withdrawn support to the UPA much earlier over such issues as terrorism, farmers' suicides or inflation.

While speaking to IANS in New Delhi, Anant Geete, party leader in the Lok Sabha, clarified that the Shiv Sena would agree with any decision taken in an NDA meeting on the political situation on Wednesday. “We are part of NDA. Its decision would be our decision,” Geete added.

Geete refuted media reports that it could support the UPA government in the event of a floor test over the India-US civil nuclear deal - which led the Left to severe its ties with the UPA.

The Shiv Sena has 13 MPs and has in the past gone against the rest of the NDA. It openly backed UPA candidate Pratibha Patil in the presidential election last year against the BJP's candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

Also, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), with eight Lok Sabha MPs, will go with the BJP-led NDA's decision on the nuclear deal issue, its leader and Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal said on Tuesday.

"We are a permanent member of the NDA and we will go with their decision on the issue," Badal told reporters at his residence.

He, however, said the SAD would take a final view in this regard after holding a meeting next Tuesday, after the return of his son and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal from abroad.

Sukhbir, who is currently in Europe, is expected to be back by this weekend. "We will hold a meeting of our party on July 15 and communicate our party's viewpoint to the NDA," he said.

Of the 13 Lok Seats in Punjab, BJP, an alliance partner of SAD in the state, has three MPs including its firebrand leader Navjot Singh Sidhu. The Congress, which is in opposition in Punjab, has two MPs including Preneet Kaur, wife of former chief minister Amarinder Singh.

Against UPA

Meanwhile, former chief minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Democratic) president Babulal Marandi said if there be a trust motion in the Lok Sabha, the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) would vote against it.

Marandi told reporters: "UNPA will vote against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the Lok Sabha." He said, "The nuclear deal is not in favour of the country and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's decision on the deal is wrong."

JVM-D is one of the constituents of the UNPA and has one member in the Lok Sabha.

"The UPA government may win the trust vote with the support of the Samajwadi Party (SP) but the people of the country are not in favour of the deal. The UPA government should make the nuclear deal document public so that people know the fact," he said.

On the SP's decision to support the UPA government, he said: "It is SP's decision and it has nothing to do with UNPA, which is clear on its stand on the nuclear deal."

Among the UNPA constituents, the Telugu Desam Party has five MPs, Asom Gana Parishad has two MPs and JVM-D has one MP.

Even with the Samajwadi Party's 39 MPs in the Lok Sabha, the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is expected to have 275 members - just three above the mandatory half-way mark to prove the majority - to back the government should it face a trust vote in parliament.