While the government is ready to accept “workable” amendments proposed by political parties, top Congress leaders on Monday met Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav to enlist his support for the UPA’s ambitious National Food Security Bill, that is now pending in the Lok Sabha.
The Congress is likely to give a final push for passage of the bill on Tuesday to coincide it with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary.
Minister of state for food K.V. Thomas, along with parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel, met Mr Yadav Monday evening, soon after a meeting convened by PM Manmohan Singh on the strategy for the bill. Senior Samajwadi leader Ram Gopal Yadav was also at the meeting, after which SP chief whip Shailen-dra Kumar, refusing to give any assurance, said a meeting of the SP parliamentary party will be held Tuesday morning to decide the party’s stand. With several amendments proposed by the Opposition, Mr Nath said earlier Monday that the government was willing to accept those that were “workable”.