BJD issues whip to vote against FDI in retail

The Biju Janata Dal, which has 14 members in the Lok Sabha and seven in the Rajya Sabha, on Tuesday issued whip to its members instructing them to vote against the Central government in the Parliament on allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail sector.

The three-line whip issued by BJD chief whip, Bhartuhari Mahatab, asked all its members to be present in the Lok Sabha on Dec 5 when voting will take place on FDI issue.

The Parliament is debating whether India should open its door for large super market chains, which the Opposition believes, might affect the livelihood of small traders.

The debate was started by Bharatiaya Janata Party (BJP), which initiated a motion against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) over its decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail. While the debate in the Lok Sabha will be held under Rule 184, in the Rajya Sabha it will be held under Rule 168, both requiring vote.

BJD had kept the UPA government guessing over its decision on whether to support or oppose FDI in retail. BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had declined to divulge the party's stand when the issue cropped up in September. He had also maintained that the FDI in retail sector was not applicable to Odisha as the state did not have any city having a population of more than one million, a prerequisite for foreign players to enter the Indian retail market.

Many Congress leaders had interpreted the silence of BJD as its intention to support the issue. The party had made its stand clear in the second week of November. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh in his recent visit to Odisha had requested the BJD leadership to reconsider its the decision.