FDI in retail: Cong says BJP's rollback call a poll gimmick

As the BJP stood firm on complete rollback of foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail sector, the Congress critisised the main Opposition party of playing poll politics.

Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh on Thursday accused the BJP of aiming for mid-term polls.

"Mid term election is the target. Advaniji getting impatient. They supported Nuclear Policy when in government, opposed when in Opposition. Introduced VAT in Power, opposed when in Opposition, supported GST in power opposed in Opposition, promised FDI when in power, opposing now," tweeted Digvijaya Singh.

Meanwhile, the retail FDI issue continues to stall Parliament. On the eighth day of winter session, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been adjourned till noon as soon as the session began on Thursday.

Desperate to gather support on the decision to allow FDI in retail sector, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meet the allies again on Thursday. Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma also attended the meeting.

On Wednesday, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee called NDA leader LK Advani after the second round of the Congress core group meet on Wednesday, asking for some elbow room in framing of the draft on adjournment motion. But LK Advani spurned the offer saying nothing short of "a total rollback of FDI in retail" would be acceptable.

A last ditch attempt made by the UPA to broker peace with the Opposition not yielding the desired results

Pranab Mukherjee is reported to have then conveyed the Prime Minister's position against rollback of FDI in retail.

BJP President Nitin Gadkari spelled out the Opposition's strategy and said that the party would not go along with the Government on the FDI issue. NDA partner and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar also urged the Government to reconsider the FDI issue.

The BJP President on Wednesday reiterated that it was prepared for mid-term general elections and exuded confidence of winning over 200 parliamentary seats on its own.

"I am not an astrologer so I can't say when and whether the mid-term polls will be held. But I can tell you that the BJP is ready for mid-term polls," Gadkari said.

"Once we cross the 170-mark we will get a stream of partners and this will expand the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which will come to power," he said.