Parliament may function today as UPA agrees to voting on FDI

New Delhi: Parliament will resumes on Thursday after a day's break and perhaps some work might take place with the government looking all set to agree on a discussion and vote on FDI in retail. While the UPA has claimed it is sure of the numbers in both houses, sources said that the Congress will make some attempts on Thursday to ensure all goes well - especially in the Rajya Sabha.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath will be meeting SP, BSP and Left leaders again. Sources said that both Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati are likely to tell their leaders to abstain from a vote. The government is keen on Parliament to function as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wants crucial insurance and banking bills to be passed for reforms push, sources added.

Nath met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley on Wednesday, where the leaders decided that Parliament should function and the discussion on FDI would be put to vote. After the meeting, Swaraj said that the Opposition wants Parliament to function and has told the government that if a defeat on FDI will not lead to its downfall then it must agree to the Opposition's demand.

The government is keen on Parliament to function as the PM wants crucial insurance and banking bills to be passed for reforms push.

Nath also said that the government wanted Parliament to function and the deadlock on FDI has been resolved. "Both Houses of Parliament must function. Voting on FDI is not needed, but we have left the final decision on the presiding officers of the two Houses," he said.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Congress leader Rajiv Shukla was also present at the meeting. The government had on Tuesday agreed to Opposition's demand for voting on FDI. The UPA's change of heart came after it received a boost from its allies, which assured it of having the numbers to survive the vote.

UPA in Lok Sabha - 254

Congress - 206 (including two nominated members from Anglo-Indian community)

DMK - 18

NCP - 9

RLD - 5

NC - 3

Others - 9

Independent MPs - 4 (Those who have given letter of support)

Here are the nine others formally supporting UPA:

IUML - 2

AIUDF - 1

BPF - 1

KERALA CONGRESS - 1

SDF - 1

VCK - 1

SWP - 1

BVA - 1

Outside support to UPA - 50

BSP - 21

SP - 22

RJD - 4

JDS - 3

NDA in Lok Sabha - 152

BJP - 115

JDU - 20

SS - 11

SAD - 4

JMM - 2

LEFT, Trinamool & others - 88

LEFT - 24 (CPM 16, CPI 4, FORWARD BLOCK 2, RSP 2)

TMC - 19

BJD - 14

ADMK - 9

TDP - 6

JVM - 2

OTHERS - 14 (INCLUDES TRS - 2, YSR CONGRESS - 2, AGP - 1, MDMK - 1, HJC - 1, NPF - 1 AND INDEPENDENTS - 5, MIM - 1)

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