Cong’s Adhir Ranjan likely to head PAC

With Congress not getting the Leader of Opposition status in Lok Sabha for the second time, the party has nominated its Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to the all-powerful Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament with a hope that he could head it

Congress sources said their expectation is that the government would offer the position of chairperson of the PAC once again to the main Opposition party and Chowdhury is likely to head it.

Sources said the government side so far has not conveyed to the Opposition about which all committees would go to the Congress and other Opposition parties.

The convention since 1967 is that an MP of the largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha become the chairperson of the 22-member panel in which 15 are chosen from Lok Sabha and the rest from the Rajya Sabha. Till 1966-67, a senior member of the ruling party used to be appointed by the Speaker as Chairman of the PAC.