The Congress appears to have managed the Samajwadi Party once again on the issue of FDI in retail. This has become clear when the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party took a line different from others on it in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
The Samajwadi Party had earlier helped the Congress in the presidential election this year by taking a U-turn and breaking unity with Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.
In UPA 1, it had saved the Manmohan Singh government during the trust-vote in the Lok Sabha in July 2008 on the issue of nuclear deal with the US.
Before that, the Samajwadi Party had opposed the nuclear deal with the US and remained firm with the Left. But it had made a volte face at an “appropriate time”.
The BSP had voted against the government on this issue when the Left withdrew its support but the Samajwadi Party has been consistent in backing the Manmohan Singh government since 2004.
In the morning, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi greeted Mr Yadav on his birthday before the Lok Sabha proceedings began. She later asked the Leader of the House and home minister Sushilkumar Shinde to congratulate Mr Yadav who on Thursday completed 73 years.
The government floor managers are confident to resolve the FDI issue successfully. Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath is in touch with the SP members in Parliament.
In fact, the SP’s argument on this issue is similar to the government. “We want discussion (on FDI in retail) but it does not depend upon our wish. It is the discretion of the Lok Sabha Speaker. If she allows under Rule 184 (which entails voting) then discussion will be under 184 if she does not then it will under Rule 193,” SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav said.