Sonia backs PM and reforms

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister met with their senior-most party leaders today to explain the recent economic reforms that have reduced their government to a minority. Sonia Gandhi told the 30 people there is no threat for the Government at the meeting chaired by her. The decision to increase diesel prices and open up the retail sector to foreign mega store chains led to Mamata Banerjee leave the UPA and she withdrew her support on Friday, six ministers quit the government. The UPA still has more than the 272 votes it needs in the Lok Sabha to remain in power, but the coalition is now more fragile than ever, and heavily dependent on the twin support of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati. Sonia Gandhi referred to them as at today's meeting two new allies while explaining the timeline of Ms Banerjee's exit. While the BJP and the Left have been joined by Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress in the demand that a special session of Parliament be called to debate FDI in retail, which has already been notified and is now law. The government does not need Parliament to endorse the FDI move as it is an executive decision, but the opposition parties are holding the government to a promise it made last year that it would consider the views of all political parties before making that decision.