Amid continuing deadlock over Indo-US nuclear deal, veteran CPI-M leader Jyoti Basu on Monday struck a conciliatory note, saying he did not favour a snap poll unless "forced" by the Congress and asked his party leadership to see if it was possible to work out a compromise.

Referring to his meeting with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Basu told reporters that "after the meeting I spoke to Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechuri. Pranab has something to say. I have asked them to listen to what Pranab has to say and to see if it is possible to work out a compromise and if we can work together for some more time."

Basu said, "He (Mukherjee) expressed his desire that it (UPA-Left committee on nuclear deal) does not break up. But how it will be possible, I do not know."

On Congress president's Sonia Gandhi's [Images] attack on opponents of the nuclear deal, which was perceived to be against Left parties, Basu said, "Sonia had made a good speech in New York. I don't know why she has changed her tone now."

"She is now talking of elections and collpase of the government. If elections are forced on us, we are ready for it," Basu said.
However, the CPI-M patriarch said he did not favour elections at the moment.