Sharad Yadav ousted from Parliamentary panel

Rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav was on Tuesday ousted as the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's confidant R C P Singh succeeding him to the post.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat on Tuesday notified the re-constituted Parliamentary Committees that come under its purview.

Following Yadav's stand against Kumar's decision to join hands with the BJP, the JD(U) had had removed him from the post of the leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha.

The JD(U) has also asked Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to disqualify Yadav from the House due to his alleged anti-party activities.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma was shifted from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice, Personnel and Public Grievances, which has oversight on the CBI and the appointments to the higher judiciary.

Senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav succeed Sharma to the Committee. Sharma has been made chairman of the Committee on Science and Techology and Environment and Forests, which was earlier helmed by Renuka Chowdhary.

After increasing its strength in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP had staked claim to the committee on Law and Justice arguing that as per convention it has been chaired by the ruling party. Taking away the chairmanship of the committee was also necessary on account of its reduced numbers.

Earlier, on account of being the largest party in the Rajya Sabha, Congress leaders chaired three of the eight parliamentary committees in the quota of the Upper House.

As per the reworked quota, BJP and the Congress have got to chair two committees each in the Upper House.

BJP allies Akali Dal and JD(U) have got chairmanship of one committee each. While the chairmanships of other two committees have gone to Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress.

Akali Dal leader Naresh Gujral has been made the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Commerce, which was earlier helmed by BJP leader Bhupender Yadav.

Trinamool Congress has appointed Derek O'Brien as the chairman of the committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture in place of Mukul Roy, who quit the party on Monday.