UPA secures DMK, hints at facing vote on FDI in Parliament

Confident of numbers, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath declared that the government was not not averse to discussion on the FDI issue under any rules, remarks that were interpreted as its readiness to face a vote.

He is slated to meet Leaders of Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley tomorrow as part of efforts to break the deadlock.

Nath, along with his deputy Rajiv Shukla, met Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari to brief him on the meetings of leaders of all parties yesterday and the UPA constituents today. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister will also meet Lok Sabha Speaker. The government has left the decision on the mode of discussion to the presiding officers.

"We are confident of numbers," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told reporters after an hour-long meeting of the leaders of UPA, which presented a united picture, as news came from Chennai of DMK extending its support to the government during any voting on the FDI issue.

"The UPA is fully united on any decision of the Speaker and the Government... All constituents are firmly behind the Government," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said. (More)