Standing by its demand to roll back foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said that it will join hands with like-minded political parties in winter session to compel the union government to take back the decision.
Although a section within the BJP doesn’t support the party’s stand and is pushing for a rethink in the strategy, the top leadership of BJP is adamant that United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government should reverse the decision.
“We will not allow FDI in multi-brand retail. The senior leaders of BJP, LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley will speak to other political parties and ensure that the union government is forced to take back its decision in the upcoming winter session of Parliament,” said Nitin Gadkari, BJP President.
Gadkari elaborated that most of the political parties in Parliament were not supporting FDI in multi-brand retail and the union government cannot take a decision that is being opposed by all political parties, except the Congress party.
However, there seems to be little unanimity within the BJP on the issue as some of the other senior leaders are of the view that a decision taken by a union government cannot be reversed when another political party when it comes to power.
“How can the decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail be reversed when BJP will come to power? This is against the convention. These are part of international agreements and a BJP led NDA government cannot just reverse the decisions of Congress government,” said a senior leader of the BJP.
There are more problems for the BJP as Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a crucial alliance partner in Punjab, is also divided on the issue. Even though Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal wants to oppose FDI in multi-brand retail, his son Sukhbir Badal, the deputy chief minister of Punjab is in favour of the decision of union government.
Interestingly, the senior Badal had earlier written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in support of FDI in multi-brand retail but he had to change his stand after BJP President Nitin Gadkari went to meet him and asked him not to support the decision. However, the younger leadership of SAD is not in favour of following the BJP line on the issue and is pressing senior Badal to come out in support of FDI in multi-brand retail.