House deadlock likely to be resolved

Voting probable next week, as UPA ready to face the Opposition

The parliamentary deadlock over a discussion of the government’s decision to allow foreign direct investment in the retail sector looks set to be resolved. The government today indicated it was not averse to a voting on the issue, as the main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party made it clear it would not settle for anything less.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath, who met the Opposition leaders of both Houses, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, could not make headway in getting BJP to agree to discussion without voting. However, a now-confident ruling UPA coalition, after a meeting with allies yesterday, said it had the numbers and was agreeable to any decision taken by the Lok Sabha speaker. Nath said: “The presiding officers can take any decision they want in the interest of running Parliament.”

Party sources indicated that left with little option, the government was now looking at getting both Houses back to functioning early next week. Parliament could take up the discussion on Tuesday, followed by a vote the next day.

Nath is slated to now hold talks with the presiding officers of both houses in the next two days, after which the Speaker will take a decision, either way, which would be implemented next week.

After meeting with Nath today, Swaraj told reporters: “The opposition is sticking to its demand that a discussion on FDI in retail should be under the rule that entails voting. Now, even the prime minister has said UPA has the numbers. DMK has also agreed to support the government. So, why is the government shying away from voting? We want voting because it will give us a chance to express our opinion on FDI in multi-brand retail.”