Will Mayawati bail the UPA government out on FDI in multi-brand retail in the Rajya Sabha? Sources in her party say the BSP's 15 MPs could vote in favour of FDI in the Upper House, where the government is in a minority and is scrambling for numbers. While the BSP, sources say, is still wary of how FDI will affect small retailers and farmers, political expediency may win the day. The government, which already has the numbers in the Lok Sabha, is now said to be convincing the BSP to support the policy in both Houses. The Lok Sabha will vote on a BJP motion against FDI in multi-brand retail in a few hours from now.
Here are the top 10 developments so far:
Lok Sabha was briefly adjourned for five minutes following an uproar over RJD chief Lalu Prasad's comments. The BJP was up in arms over his remarks, calling them "jamoore" (side-kicks), and dubbed them as "unparliamentary". (Read: Lalu takes a dig at BJP, asks why Advani uses Twitter)
Earlier, speaking in the Lok Sabha, Sharad Yadav of the JD(U) ripped into the Congress-led UPA government warning that "the future generations will not pardon us...you should reconsider the decision." Mr Yadav also sought to score political points, taking on Mr Sibal for saying yesterday that while the government looked beyond the opposition benches in the House at the country's welfare, the opposition was merely eyeing the treasury benches. "Yes", said Mr Yadav, "we want to sit there (treasury benches) but don't you want the same...but we don't want to sit there through illegitimate ways." (Read: Reconsider FDI decision, JD(U) tells government)
Praful Patel of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a constituent of the UPA, defended FDI in retail, promising that it would "not hurt local markets." The Heavy Industries Minister said, "You did not oppose malls, then why are you opposing FDI?" (Who said what)
The Prime Minister is not expected to intervene in the Lok Sabha debate on his big reform move. (Track latest developments)
Mulayam Singh Yadav made a strong speech yesterday, opposing FDI in retail and appealing to the Congress-led UPA to reconsider its decision. His brother and senior party colleague Ram Gopal Yadav said today that the party would not vote on the side of the government. It would either vote against it or abstain from voting. Ram Gopal Yadav said that a decision on the matter would be taken only after the government's reply in the Lok Sabha this evening. "Whatever we will decide, the decision will be the same in both Houses," Mr Yadav added.
In the Lok Sabha, the government reportedly has its numbers in place and would not be stretched if Mr Yadav chooses to abstain during voting; but in the Rajya Sabha, it is in a minority and needs active help from both the SP and Mayawati's BSP to defeat the opposition's motion.
That help, alleges the BJP, is being provided already. As the Rajya Sabha was repeatedly adjourned, finally for the day early today courtesy disruptions by first the BSP and then SP, the BJP's Arun Jaitley said the ruling side did not have the numbers in the Upper House and so are disrupting the House deliberately to avoid a vote. He demanded that the Prime Minister clarify.
Ms Mayawati had indicated earlier this week that she would not like to vote on the same side as the BJP. On its part, the government is trying to keep its allies in good humour. After the BSP chief stalled Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha today demanding construction of a memorial for Bhimrao Ambedkar in Mumbai, the government announced in Parliament that it would make land available. (Read)
After boycotting a meeting with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath yesterday, sulking Telangana Congress MPs today decided to participate in the FDI vote in Lok Sabha after Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde decided to convene a meeting of all political parties in Andhra Pradesh on December 28 to discuss the contentious separate statehood issue of Telangana. (Read)
In the Lok Sabha, if the BSP and SP both abstain in the 545-seat Lok Sabha, the majority mark will come down from 273 to 251. The Congress and its UPA allies have 261 MPs. Anti-FDI MPs add up to 219. In the 244-seat Rajya Sabha, the UPA has strength of 94 members. The 10 nominated members may go ahead to vote with the government. Among the seven Independents, three or four may support the government. Still, the ruling coalition needs outside supporters BSP (15) and SP (9) to vote with the government.
