Congress may get prestigious PAC, hints Naidu

Congress may get Chairmanship of the prestigious Public Accounts of Committee (PAC) but still there is no guarantee whether it will get the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

There is also no assurance from the government whether the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha will be accommodated in the decision-making process relating to key appointments like Lok Pal in the absence of Congress not getting recognition as Leader of the Opposition.

"I want to take opposition into confidence on PAC. I am in favour of giving it to the main opposition (Congress)," Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu told PTI in an interview today.

Asked whether the Deputy Speaker's post will go to the Congress, he said "Who among the opposition, I am holding discussions. We will take a decision during the course of the Budget session."

Naidu did not want to discuss the issue of whether the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha would be included in the Committees that will decide the candidates for Lok Pal and other statutory bodies in case there is no recognised Leader of the Opposition from the Lok Sabha.

"Leader of the Opposition is not in my domain. It is for the Law Ministry," he said in reply to a question on the subject.

He said there are precedents about the issue of the Leader of the Opposition.

"The Speaker will examine this. How I can say on behalf of the Speaker. If any party had more than 10 per cent of seats in the House, the issue would have been settled automatically straightaway. It is for the Speaker to take a call."

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said the Standing Committee on Finance goes to opposition. Congress, AIADMK, TMC, BJD, major opposition parties. "I am in the process of consulting."