BJP, Left stick to demand for voting on FDI, BSP wants SC/ST quota bill

New Delhi: An all-party meet was held to break the FDI deadlock in Parliament on Monday. Sources say the government proposed a debate without voting on retail FDI, but the BJP, the Left and the Janata Dal (United) insisted on a vote. The parties stuck to their demand of discussion under rule 184 that entails voting. "We made it clear that its a vote related discussion that we will accept. There will be no compromise at all," BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said.

Sources have told CNN-IBN that the Samajwadi Party has conveyed to the government that it won't insist on voting over FDI. The SP has conveyed that if voting takes place, it will abstain.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), meanwhile, has asked for a commitment from the government on the passage of the bill that provides for SC/ST reservation in promotion in government jobs. Mayawati wants the quota bill first and then FDI.

"The SC/ST quota bill has been pending for long time. We have been raising this issue for a long time inside as well as outside Parliament. BSP wants Parliament to function and FDI should be discussed. The rule under which discussion on FDI takes place should be decided by the Speaker in the Lok Sabha and the Chairperson in the Rajya Sabha," Mayawati said.

The Trinamool Congress refused to make its stand clear and said the Speaker will decide under which rule a discussion on FDI will take place. Sources say Congress ally DMK and Gowda's JD(S) are also not insisting on a vote.

The government was represented by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and Finance Minister P Chidambaram at the meeting. Earlier on Monday, both Houses of Parliament were adjourned without any business on the third day of the winter session over an uproar on FDI in retail.