New Delhi : While the UPA government has been maintaining that it is not averse to a vote in Parliament on the FDI issue and would leave the decision to the Lok Sabha Speaker, it is reported to have agreed to a debate on the matter under Rule 184.

Under Rule 184, voting is held after a debate on an issue.

Reports said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath will call on BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley on Wednesday to discuss how to go about a debate and voting on foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail.
It may be noted that Parliament will not convene today on account of Guru Nanak Jayanti.

The indication from the government that it is preparing for a vote came on Tuesday after the UPA coordination committee meet in the afternoon. This after allies DMK, SP and BSP, and former ally TMC clearly indicated that they would not embarrass the government if a vote is held in Parliament on FDI issue.

The BJP, whose parliamentary board also met in the morning yesterday, stayed firm on its demand for voting on the matter, stating the government had backtracked on its promise made on the floor of the House.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told reporters yesterday after meeting UPA alliance partners that his government was on a solid footing. “Yes, we are confident of the numbers,” Dr Singh had said.

According to informed sources, Speaker Meira Kumar will take a decision on the debating rules – 184 (debate with voting) and 193 (debate) – by Friday. The government may go for a debate by next week, the sources added.

Kamal Nath told reporters after the UPA meeting: “The UPA is firmly united and all constituents are behind the government on any debate in Parliament.

“The government is not averse to discussion under any rule. We are not concerned about voting,” he said after the one-and-a-half hour meeting in Parliament’s library building.

The BJP and the Left are for a debate with voting as they felt the government didn’t have support over the issue in the house.

According to Congress sources, the government is against voting as the opposition could then seek a vote every time a reform measure is pushed.

While there is no danger to the government if it loses the vote as it is not a financial issue, it could cause political embarrassment.

The total strength of the Lok Sabha is 544. In a vote, the government will need only a simple majority.

The UPA, with its main allies, now has 245 members. The opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has 150 seats and the Left have 24, taking it to a total of 174 assured votes against retail FDI.

Among other parties, Biju Janata Dal with 14 seats, AIADMK with nine and Telugu Desam Party with six have vowed to vote against the government.