Paul’s allegations come as a revelation amid long-standing speculation that vast sums were extended to secure votes in the UPA government’s favor during the trust vote, which held enormous stakes for the nuclear agreement. According to Paul, the money offer was not merely a political bribe but an attempt to subvert parliamentary democracy. He asserted that the amount offered, allegedly sourced from political intermediaries, was intended to sway opposition members to favor the UPA, which had lost the Left’s critical support over ideological conflicts, primarily due to the nuclear pact with the United States. The Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, hailed as a milestone in bilateral relations, had set off widespread political tension and ideological divides, with opponents arguing that it compromised India’s sovereignty.