After some hard bargaining over rules and semantics, the Centre and the BJP have reached a compromise over the debate on price rise on Monday. The deal struck?at a meeting between floor leaders of parties in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee?normalcy returned to both Houses of Parliament.

As the Lok Sabha assembled, Speaker Meira Kumar announced that she had been informed that an agreement had been reached between the two sides. The discussion will take place on Tuesday, she told the House, expressing the hope that the proceedings would get underway without disruption.

According to the terms of agreement, both Houses will suspend Question Hour and take up debates on price rise. In the Lok Sabha, the debate will be held under Rule 342 ? which is designed to ?consider policy, situation, statement or any other matter?.

Before the compromise was reached, the Centre was insisting on to invoke Rule 193 and the Opposition was adamant on Rule 184.

The Rule 342 does allow a ?substantive motion?, but the understanding between the two sides is that the Opposition would not take recourse to this. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj will move a motion and initiate the discussion, which would conclude with Speaker Meira Kumar reading out a unanimous resolution, giving a sense of the House. However, the resolution has been already scripted accommodating the views of both sides. As the first follow-up action, Swaraj gave a fresh notice for a motion on Monday. Unlike previous occasions—when members belonging to several parties gave notices?there is a single notice this time around.

For the Centre, it is a victory because it has managed to thwart the Opposition attempt to force voting on it. The Opposition has the consolation of keeping the focus on price rise for one full week, and ultimately securing a debate under a rule which has scope for voting, even if it is not forced. Though, operationally, both a Rule-193 debate and a Rule-342 discussion are the same, there is a difference in nature. While, the former is just a talked-out affair, the latter is on a substantial motion.

The Opposition gave in because of a fear of adverse public reaction to a further disruption of Parliament on the one hand and an inevitable split in its ranks on the other. Several parties, particularly the Left, were keen on a debate. The Pranab Mukherjee formula being the best face-saver, the Opposition readily accepted it.

The agreed draft is: ?This House expresses its concern at the adverse impact of inflationary pressures on the common man and calls upon the government to contain it.? Sources said the Congress was particularly wary of the use of word ?common man?, because of its resonance of the ?aam aadmi? theme of the party?s election campaign. The Opposition wanted the words ?adverse impact of inflationary pressures? replaced by price rise. The Centre did not agree to this.

The Rajya Sabha will replicate the arrangement worked out vis-a-vis the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Mukherjee was assisted by home minister P Chidambaram, agriculture minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and DMK leader TR Baalu at the talks. The other side was represented by Sushma Swaraj, her counter-part in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, NDA convenor and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, CPI(M) leaders Sita Ram Yechury and Basudeb Acharia, CPI leader Guurdas Dasgupta, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, AIADMK leader M Thambi Durai.