Divergent Views

Some of the parliamentary leaders of the CPM and the CPI — key constituents of the Left bloc — are apparently not on the same page on how to corner the government on the FDI in retail issue. The CPM is determined to try to force the government seek a vote on the issue. Its leaders — Sitaram Yechury and Basudeb Acharia — have given notices for a discussion under rule 184 which entails voting. CPI's Gurudas Dasgupta, however, is not convinced as he argues such notices can be converted into resolutions only if there a government consent. Read between the lines, he is saying giving notice under rule 184 is a futile exercise. He has given a notice for a discussion under rule 193 which does not end in voting. The parliament party leaders of the Left are meeting on Friday to decide a common strategy and it is to be seen whether they will discuss the divergence in views.

Memory Lane

AUNG San Suu Kyi is reliving her past days and friendships in Delhi. She managed to go for a walk at the Lodhi Gardens on Diwali day, one she fondly remembers from her days in the Capital. She also managed to meet some of her friends during her free time, who studied with her in LSR and Oxford. While she pays a visit to the LSR campus on Friday to catch up with old teacher, another Oxford alumnus External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid hosted her for dinner on Thursday.

Opposition Onslaught

ALMOST the entire BJP top leadership will hit the streets across various cities on the eve of Parliament's winter session to sharpen its attack on the UPA government over corruption and price rise. While all senior leaders have chosen to be in key places like Rajnath Singh and Murli Manohar Joshi in Delhi, Arun Jaitley in Mumbai and Venkaiah Naidu in Hyderabad, party president Nitin Gadkari has strangely decided to post himself at Itanagar. The BJP's defence is that they are trying to cover most state capitals, but the fact that corruption allegations against Gadkari may have weighed on the BJP's mind is not lost on party insiders. One wonders the point Gadkari will seek to make from far away Itanagar or was it just a way to keep him out of the limelight? Meanwhile, L K Advani has decided to stay away and Sushma Swaraj will be busy attending pre-session consultation meetings in Parliament.

... contd.

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