UPA, Oppn agree to debate and vote on FDI in Parliament
The stalemate over FDI in retail issue might end in Parliament with sources saying that both the Opposition and the government are likely to hold a discussion on FDI after which the motion will be put to vote in both the Houses on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
November 28, 2012 / 14:43 IST
The stalemate over FDI in retail issue might end in Parliament with sources saying that both the Opposition and the government are likely to hold a discussion on FDI after which the motion will be put to vote in both the Houses on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley on Wednesday, where the leaders decided that Parliament should function and the discussion on FDI would be put to vote.
Also Read: Confident of nos, will go by Speaker's decision on FDI: UPAAfter the meeting, Swaraj said that the Opposition wants Parliament to function and has told the government that a defeat on FDI will not lead to its downfall so it must agree to the Opposition's demand. "How will we express our views until and unless voting takes place? We asked the government as to why it had not agreed for voting earlier even though it is assured of the numbers. Even if the government does not have the numbers it should go in for voting on the issue. We told the government that it will not fall if the vote is against it. Only the proposal to implement FDI will have to be withdrawn and if majority of the MPs are against FDI, it should be withdrawn," she said.Nath also said that the government wanted Parliament to function and the deadlock on FDI has been resolved. "Both Houses of Parliament must function. Voting on FDI is not needed, but we have left the final decision on the presiding officers of the two Houses," he said.Congress MP Rajiv Shukla was also present at the meeting. The government had on Tuesday agreed to Opposition's demand for voting on FDI. The UPA's change of heart came after it received a boost from its allies. It has been assured of having the numbers to survive the vote. Kamal Nath said it was for the Speaker to take a final call. Sources say that the UPA government wants to put up a brave front over the issue by showing that it is not running away from voting. Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
