NDA to explore no-trust motion against FDI in Parl

The National Democratic Alliance on Tuesday decided to bring a motion that entails voting against the decision on Foreign Direct Investrment in retail but kept open its options on a no-confidence motion in an apparent bid to not antagonise the Trinamool Congress.

"The NDA will move a resolution under voting provisions seeking disapproval of the government's decision (to permit FDI in multi-brand retail) and urging the government to withdraw the decision," said a statement of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led opposition grouping after a 90-minute meeting.  

The NDA, which met under the chairmanship of L K Advani to finalise its strategy in the winter session of Parliament beginning Thursday, appealed to all the political parties, which extended support to the nationwide bandh against the government's FDI decision of December 7, 2011 to support the motion.

Against the backdrop of former Congress ally, TMC's plans, the NDA decided to consult all political parties to bring a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha against the government.

"This government has failed on all the fronts and the time has come for it go. The NDA would consult all political parties to explore the possibility of a no-confidence motion against the government," the statement read out by BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The NDA said the government has violated its "solemn assurance" given in Parliament on December 7, 2011 that it will keep in abeyance the decision on FDI till a consensus is arrived at in consultation with all political parties and states.

"The NDA appeals to all political parties which supported the Bharat bandh against the decision to bring FDI in retail to cooperate in this disapproval of the decision," it said.

The meeting was attended by senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, BJP President Nitin Gadkari, NDA convener Sharad Yadav, Akali Dal leader Naresh Gujral, Shiv Sena leader Ananth Geete, Janata Dal-United leader Shivanand Tiwari and Haryana Janhit Party leader Kuldeep Bishnoi.