Allowing FDI in multi-brand retail was reportedly the main issue at Friday’s UPA dinner, hosted by the Prime Minister against the backdrop of the approaching Winter Session of Parliament beginning November 22.
Prime Minister Manmo-han Singh has also invited senior BJP leaders to dinner on Saturday to seek their cooperation for the smooth functioning of Parliament and passage of key legislation.
Sources said the common topic of deliberation during the dinner was how to deal with the Opposition’s attack on allowing FDI in multi-brand retail. Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath said he is looking into any precedence to an executive decision (FDI in multi-brand retail) being put to vote.
UPA allies DMK, NCP, RLD and National Conference were represented at Friday’s dinner. Sources said NDA working chairman L.K. Advani, the Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, respectively, have been invited to dinner at the Prime Minister’s residence on Saturday.
Before the dinner, senior Congress leaders, including party president Sonia Gandhi and Union ministers A.K. Antony and P. Chidambaram, met the PM. The PM had earlier hosted lunch for SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati; both parties have been extending outside support to the UPA but have been critical of the government’s decision allowing FDI in multi-brand retail.
The UPA is set to face Parliament with reduced numbers after the Trinamul Congress, with 19 LS MPs, withdrew support; it has now threatened to move a no-confidence motion. After the TMC, the MIM’s lone MP, Asaduddin Owaisi, also withdrew support.
While the DMK, which has been maintaining “suspense” over its stand on FDI in multi-brand retail, was represented by senior leader T.R. Baalu at the dinner, it has been learnt that the party could stage a walkout in the event of a vote on the FDI issue in the Lok Sabha.
However, the PM is likely to request the BJP to allow Parliament to run smoothly as there are suggestions that it could corner the government on FDI in retail, corruption charges, the diesel price hike and the cap on subsidised LPG.