By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday spoke with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to seek her party Trinamool Congress’s support on the controversial cabinet decision of allowing foreign equity in Indian retail market.
Official sources said the two leaders spoke over phone. However, it was not immediately known what Banerjee told the prime minister.
The Trinamool Congress, a key partner in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), is bitterly opposed to the new reform policy and said this would hurt the interests of farmers and small traders in India.
The government’s efforts have so far failed to win the Trinamool support on the decision that is being also opposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Left parties.
The opposition parties are demanding an adjournment motion under a rule entailing voting to discuss the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retailing. The government has so far rejected the demand, triggering a political deadlock in parliament.
The standoff between the government and the opposition has led to parliament not doing any significant business in the first nine days of the 21-day long winter session that ends Dec 22.