UPA govt wins FDI vote in Rajya Sabha, says reforms on track:
New Delhi: After the Lok Sabha, the UPA government on Friday secured an easy 14-vote victory in the Rajya Sabha as well on the issue of FDI in multi-brand retail. And armed with the victory, the government declared that there was no stopping India's reform process.
The Opposition-backed motion against FDI in retail got 109 votes while the government managed 123, of the total 212 MPs present in the House.
The government, meanwhile, sought recalculation of votes in the Upper House on the issue of FDI as the total number of votes appeared to be more than the actual strength of the House.
One member, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, was away in Kolkata playing a match against England. But officials admitted there was some confusion on the final voting figures.
The motion was earlier defeated in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The Opposition-backed motion against FDI in retail got 109 votes while the government managed 123, of the total 212 MPs present in the House.
The government, meanwhile, sought recalculation of votes in the Upper House on the issue of FDI as the total number of votes appeared to be more than the actual strength of the House.
One member, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, was away in Kolkata playing a match against England. But officials admitted there was some confusion on the final voting figures.
The motion was earlier defeated in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The government’s victory was scripted by the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. While Mayawati chose to vote in favour of the UPA government, Mulayam Singh’s party MPs staged a walkout just minutes before voting.
The government’s victory paves the way for foreign equity in multi-brand retail in the country, a move seen as a major step forward in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's economic reforms process.
With this, global brands like Carrefour, Tesco and Wal-Mart will set up stores in India.
As a disappointed Opposition claimed "moral victory" on the strength of the speeches made in the House over two days, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said after the vote: "Our reforms are on track."
Addressing the House during the debate, Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma hit back at the Opposition and said the government had been "talking to everyone, farmers, traders, consumers, states".
Sharma slammed the Opposition for saying the FDI did not have the support of most MPs even if the final vote went in favour of the treasury benches.
The government’s victory paves the way for foreign equity in multi-brand retail in the country, a move seen as a major step forward in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's economic reforms process.
With this, global brands like Carrefour, Tesco and Wal-Mart will set up stores in India.
As a disappointed Opposition claimed "moral victory" on the strength of the speeches made in the House over two days, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said after the vote: "Our reforms are on track."
Addressing the House during the debate, Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma hit back at the Opposition and said the government had been "talking to everyone, farmers, traders, consumers, states".
Sharma slammed the Opposition for saying the FDI did not have the support of most MPs even if the final vote went in favour of the treasury benches.
The government also held inter-ministerial consultations on the issue, heard the recommendations and then took the decision, Sharma said.
After the Parliament defeat, Communist leader D Raja accused the UPA government of "brazenly" identifying itself "with multinationals and then claims it is with aam admi". "The sense of the house is against FDI."
The AIADMK gave a "solemn assurance" that the next central government would reverse the FDI decision.
AIADMK leader V Maitreyan, who moved the motion for the debate in the Rajya Sabha, said the final vote on the issue would be cast by the people in the next election.
"I give a solemn assurance that after the next Lok Sabha elections, the next government will reverse the decision of the UPA."
"FDI will only be on paper and will not be implemented in states," he added.
The government’s move to provide 51 percent foreign equity in multi-brand retail has long been a contentious issue, stalling almost the entire first two weeks of the Winter Session of Parliament.
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