The Opposition BJP on Wednesday a s s e r t e d that its oldest ally, Shiv Sena, will toe the NDA line on Indo-US nuclear deal in case of voting in Parliament on the issue. The clarification comes in the wake of speculation that the Congress-led UPA would be looking to the assistance of smaller parties from all sides to cobble up the numbers to back it for the nuclear deal since the Left withdrawing support to the government now appears almost certain. Senior BJP leaders are in touch with the Shiv Sena leadership and "we are confident of Shiv Sena being in tune with the NDA on the nuclear deal issue', party spokesperson Prakash Javdekar told reporters here on Wednesday. The Sena's stand was also confirmed by the party's Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Raut, who told the TOI, "Although we are not against the nuclear deal, it seems there are some misgivings about the Hyde Act and hence we have decided to go with the NDA.' The Sena had broken ranks with the BJP as recently as last year in the Presidential elections where it backed the UPA nominee Pratibha Patil who was pitted against senior BJP leader Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Serious differences had also crept up between the two parties even after the Presidential polls, on the Sena's stand against "outsiders' or non-Maharashtrians living in the western state. Being a national party, BJP had openly opposed the regional stand of its oldest ally. While BJP has said that it would press the government to bring a trust vote and prove its majority the moment Left parties withdraw their support to it, the Opposition party is almost certain that the President will not ask the government to prove its majority on the floor of the House. In that situation, while BJP itself may not bring a no-confidence motion, it is not unlikely to support such a motion brought by some other party. The party will call a meeting to decide on a final stand that it will take on the issue. Bal Thackeray