Congress core group discusses food bill

The Congress core committee met here Friday to discuss the ways to pass the food security bill, said party sources.

According to sources, it was decided that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath and Food Minister K.V. Thomas will hold consultations with opposition parties to evolve a consensus on the bill. If that happens, the government would call a special session to pass the bill, said the sources.

The meeting comes a day after the cabinet deferred the food bill ordinance and opted to pass it in parliament. The bill, which aims to provide subsided foodgrains to 67 percent of India's population, is the flagship welfare legislation of the UPA government and could prove to be a game changer in the 2014 polls.

Accoding to the sources, the core group also reviewed the current political situation including the strained ties between the Janata Dal-United and the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar and the talks of a federal front formation among the regional parties.

The long-pending party reshuffle was also touched upon, said the sources.