Govt confident of numbers ahead of FDI debate in LS

The debate is likely to begin around 2 p.m.

The Parliament will debate today on the all important foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail and vote on the amendment of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to operationalise the retail decision.

UPA is confident that the motion on FDI in retail in the Lok Sabha would be won by the ruling coalition even if there is voting.

In the Upper House, UPA sources said, the majority would be wafer thin. But because the overall numbers would come down - with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) hinting on Monday that it would create conditions favourable for the government – the government is likely to get anything between 109 and 120 votes in a House where the effective strength would be around 220.

With one vacancy, out of a total strength of 244, 15 BSP and 9 Samajwadi party MPs are expected to abstain. The government therefore needs 111 to cross the halfway mark.

The debate is expected to start around 2PM in the afternoon.

The government’s opening speaker could be Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

Sushma Swaraj from the BJP is likely to be the first choice of the opposition.