India: Singh's Government Survives No-Confidence Vote

India's ruling Congress party survived a no-confidence vote in parliament July 22, winning by 19 votes. Had the government lost the vote, snap elections would have been called and the U.S.-Indian civilian nuclear deal would have been killed. The victory renews Congress' mandate and breathes new life into the nuclear deal with Washington, but the narrow margin of victory — and the trades Congress agreed to in order to win the vote — indicate that campaigning for the May 2009 elections will be fierce.