PM to meet BJP leaders over dinner Thursday

New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet top BJP leaders over dinner Thursday in a bid to blunt the principal opposition party’s likely attack on the government during the winter session of parliament which commences Nov 22.

Singh has invited BJP Parliamentary Party chief L.K. Advani, Lok Sabha opposition leader Sushma Swaraj and Rajya Sabha opposition leader Arun Jaitley to the dinner.

Singh returned to India Tuesday night after a two−day visit to Cambodia for the Asean summit.

The dinner meeting, rescheduled from last Saturday due to the death of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, will come in the wake of an all−party meet called by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar resulting in a logjam over the opposition’s stringency over foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi−brand retail.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Left parties want a debate on FDI in retail through a voting provision in parliament, ally−turned−foe Trinamool Congress plans a no confidence motion.

IANS 2012-11-21 21:32:05