Mayawati with govt on retail FDI vote

"Our party will vote in favour of the government tomorrow," BSP leader Mayawati said during the debate on the FDI policy change that is symbolic to India's attempts at a second wave of reforms. The government had won a vote on the issue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday thanks to the BSP and SP abstaining.

“Important Bills are pending, the government will get the excuse to escape important issues (if disruption in the House continues). That's why looking at plus points, the BSP will vote in favour of the government," Mayawati said. The SP said it would abstain from a vote in Rajya Sabha too on the 'black law' and asked the government to think over the issue.

Participating in the debate, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said opening up the retail sector for foreign control without reforms in the manufacturing sector was not the right thing to do. “We (will) cease to be a manufacturing nation. We will be consumers and our children will be sales boys and sales girls," said Jaitley.

The government had earlier looked set to lose the vote before the unexpected announcement from Mayawati to vote in favour of the retail reform. Mayawati said her decision was partly based

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