The crucial meeting of the United Progressive Alliance-Left Committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal scheduled for November 16 stands postponed.

This has been formally communicated to the Left parties by the ruling alliance, according to Communist Party of India-Marxist secretary D Raja.

Raja is the member of the 15-member panel, which has External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee as its convenor.

Raja said the reason cited was the winter session of Parliament beginning November 15 during which a discussion on the deal is expected.

The meeting is likely only after the session, which concludes on December 7.

The move has come even as CPI general secretary Prakash Karat had said a couple of days back that the Left has not sought any postponement and neither has the government indicated its decision to defer it.

While there were reports that the November 16 meeting could have been the last of the panel, both sides had indicated that there could be more talks.

The UPA-Left committee was constituted a few months back as a joint mechanism to sort out differences between the Congress-led coalition at the Centre and outside supporters Left parties on the deal.

The Left parties have threatened the government with serious consequences if it goes ahead with operationalising the deal and at one point, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] had dared them to withdraw support to his government on the issue.