Government focus now on Finance Bill

New Delhi: After the high-voltage political drama over the last three days, the immediate challenge before the government now is getting the Finance Bill passed smoothly in the Lok Sabha. With a reduced majority.

The Finance Bill, or the Budget, is likely to come up in the Lok Sabha today. Looming large are the host of problems that the passage of the Women's Bill in the Rajya Sabha threw up for the government, not least the fact that Mulayam Singh Yadav, with his 22 MLAs, and Lalu Prasad Yadav, with 4, have withdrawn support. (Read: Slighted Yadavs plan their next attack)

Without those 26, the UPA government's majority in the Lok Sabha is a slim one.

But Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natrajan told NDTV on Thursday that there was, "No issue over passing the Finance Bill in Lok Sabha." She said opposition parties the BJP and the Left were "hunting with a hound" and "trying to score points over the Women's Bill."

Natrajan also said there was, "No issue with Mamata Banerjee over the Women's Bill."

The next question in fact is whether the government will table the Women's Bill on the Lok Sabha this session. In an exclusive interview to NDTV's Barkha Dutt, Sonia Gandhi said: "Next step will be taken, can't say whether in this session." (Read & Watch: Full interview)