The Bharatiya Janata Party's top brass is all set to meet this week ahead of a key debate in Parliament on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Party sources said Advani, who earlier sought the Left parties' support for his party's call for a vote in Parliament on the 123 agreement, may lead the debate.

Ahead of the debate, the former deputy prime minister appeared to have distanced his party from the Left's tough stand on the deal by reportedly calling for amendments in the

Indian Atomic Energy Act to protect New Delhi's strategic independence in the light of the nuclear deal with Washington. Advani reportedly said his party would have no objections to the accord if the government took steps to ensure India's strategic programme independence.

His remarks, party insiders said, stemmed from concerns in some quarters of BJP that its tough posturing created an impression of being siding with the Left on the nuclear issue.

The Friday meeting of the core committee, sources said, will, among other party issues, fine-tune the party's strategy for the nuclear debate.