AIADMK to initiate FDI discussion in RS today

For the first time in the history of Rajya Sabha, its chairman and Vice President Hamid Ansari has permitted All India Anna Dravida Munetra Kazhagam -- a regional political party to initiate the FDI in retail discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Ansari went by the rule book, which directs to permit the first petitioner before him for the FDI in retail discussion, which happened to be the AIADMK's Dr V Maitreyan, who will be now initiating the discussion.

The Rajya Sabha practice has been that the initiator of the discussion would also have the rare chance to ask questions to the concerned minister and sum up the discussion. This is also a first for the AIADMK.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is the leader of the Rajya Sabha, so he will also be present in the House when FDI in retail being initiated and summed up.

As per the Rajya Sabha bulletin the order in which the political parties will speak is as follows:

Dr V Maitreyan -- AIADMK

Sitaram Yechury -- Communist Party of India-Marxist

D Raja -- Communist Party of India

M P Achutan -- Communist Party of India

Arun Jairley -- Bharatiya Janata Party BJP

Y S Chowdary -- Telugu Desam Party

N K Singh – Janjata Dal-United

M Venkaiah Naidu -- BJP

Shashi Bhusan Behera Biju Janata Dal

Vivek Gupta --Trinamool Congress