Winter Session of Parliament begins today

New Delhi: Battlelines are drawn for the Winter Session of Parliament that begins at 11 am today. Opposition parties want a discussion on Foreign Direct Investment or FDI in multi-brand retail under a rule that allows voting. The Manmohan Singh government says it is ready to debate its policy decision but does not want a vote. Neither side is budging from its position; an all-party meeting called by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar yesterday failed to break the deadlock.   
 
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh clearly expects a heated session. As he arrived at Parliament House this morning, Dr Singh said there was a "very heavy legislative agenda during the Winter Session. I seek cooperation from my colleagues in the House," adding, "We are ready to discuss all issues on the floor of both the Houses." The country, he said, faced "many economic problems" that called for "cohesive collective action" and he invited "all political parties to join hands in this vital national endeavour." He reminded the parties that they had "an obligation to work together."

The opposition has stacked up its ammunition and is ready for war. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj has submitted a notice on FDI in retail under Rule 184, which entails a discussion and vote. The Left too has asked for a debate under the same rule. 
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said yesterday, "It's not proper to talk about this rule or that rule, I am trying to reach to all concerned." He said it must be left to the Speaker to decide under what provision the issue should be debated. Mr Kamal Nath has argued, as has his colleague and Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, that allowing FDI in multi-brand retail is an executive decision and the government is under no obligation to seek Parliament's approval. 

Reiterating his stand, Mr Nath Said today, "The opposition can't decide date and time of decisions in Parliament. We are ready to discuss issues on FDI with the BJP and others. Parliamentary session should be carried out peacefully."

The BJP's answer to that is a breach of privilege notice against Anand Sharma, submitted in the Rajya Sabha yesterday by party MPs Prakash Javadekar and Rajiv Pratap Rudy. The BJP MPs point out that Mr Sharma had, on December 7, 2011, assured the House that all stakeholders would be consulted before a decision was taken on the FDI issue. The BJP says that despite making this promise in both Houses of Parliament, the government went ahead unilaterally and allowed 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail. They quote Mr Sharma as having said in Parliament, "It is very clear that this policy, the enabling policy framework, is such that the states have a discretion. Therefore, when we say consultation with the stakeholders, that include chief minister and states, and it certainly does not exclude, but includes, the political parties." 

The Opposition has also lined up issues like hike in fuel prices, cap on LPG cylinders, the overall economic situation, distress of farmers, corruption and the alleged coal block allocation scam to attack the government. 
 
The government says it is focused on ensuring a session in which Parliament functions; the last two session were virtual washouts with very little work done as the Opposition forced adjournment after adjournment on issues like coal scam and FDI. This time the government has listed 25 bills, including important ones like pension reforms, hike in FDI in the insurance sector and the Lokpal Bill among others. 

 Party spokesman PC Chacko said, "Hope the Opposition does not adopt stalling tactics today like the previous two sessions," and added, "if the Opposition wants to defeat the government, let them get a no confidence motion.  Why does the Opposition want to defeat the government through some dubious method?" 

That challenge is backed by numbers. After a series of meals - dinners and one lunch - the PM is reportedly sanguine that he will sail through a no-confidence motion; with the external support of the Samajwadi Party's 22 Lok Sabha MPs and the BSP's 21, the UPA government has a bit over 300 MPs, safely clear of the 273-seat halfway mark. Opposition parties like the BJP and the Left have the same calculation and so prefer to corner the government on FDI in retail. They expect parties like the SP and even UPA ally DMK to find it difficult to back the government on that vote - these parties have been vocal in their opposition to allowing big foreign supermarkets like Walmart to set up shop in India.  

But Mamata Banerjee, assured of support by no one yet, is going ahead with her No-Confidence Motion against the government. She contends that after her exit in September this year, the UPA government is in a minority and as such did not have the authority to push what she calls anti-people policy decisions like allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail. She has also accused it of being "steeped in corruption"

Her party has given notice for the motion and the Speaker will decide whether to accept it or not. Ms Banerjee has 19 Lok Sabha MPs; she needs 50 to support a no-confidence motion to have it accepted. Ms Banerjee's best efforts to get that support have so far come a cropper and she even offered to back a No Confidence Motion if arch-rivals the Left moved one instead. 

Left party the CPM has categorically said it will not support Ms Banerjee's motion. The BJP has been less direct but is not inclined to give Ms Banerjee centrestage by backing her motion.
From NDTV news