The warning shots have been fired and the battle over FDI on retail begun in Rajya Sabha, the final frontier of the war where words are the weapons and arguments, the tactical defence shields. AIADMK's Rajya Sabha member V Maitreyan was the one who drew the first blood.

The AIADMK leader said that the Opposition was prepared for any outcome in the Rajya Sabha. "Whether debate will go to vote we don't know. The Opposition is prepared for any eventuality. If the arithmetic is clear, the Oppositionn will win," he said.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party, the trump card holder in this issue  has said that it will not vote in favour of the government on FDI. "We won't vote in the Rajya Sabha in favour of the government. We won't make our stand clear on walking out," party leader Naresh Aggarwal said.

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(AW-Jyotishman)