New Delhi, Sep. 26 (PTI): JD(U) rebel MP Sharad Yadav has been dropped as the chairman of the parliamentary committee on industry following his party's communication to the Rajya Sabha chairman.
Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, who was elected as the JD(U) parliamentary party leader in the Rajya Sabha in place of Yadav, replaces the former party chief as the head of the parliamentary committee, according to an official communication.
Following Yadav's stand against JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar's decision to ally with the BJP, his party has also urged Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to disqualify him from the House due to his alleged anti-party activities. Naidu is yet to take a decision on the plea.
The latest rejig of parliamentary panels has also seen the Congress losing the chairmanship of the key committee on law, which is looking into the issue of electoral reforms.
The opposition party is now heading five committees while the BJP's tally has gone up to 10.
The BJP and its allies are now heading as many as 14 parliamentary standing committees while the opposition is left with 10.
According to a Rajya Sabha bulletin, out of the total 24 department-related standing committees of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the BJP is now heading 10, the Congress 5, two by the TMC and one each by the Shiv Sena, the SAD, the SP, the JD(U), the AIADMK, the BJD and the TDP.
However, crucial panels on home, external affairs and finance will continue to be chaired by the Congress. BJP MP B C Khanduri has got another term as chairman of the committee on defence.
Congress MPs P Chidambaram, Shashi Tharoor and M Veerappa Moily have been given another term as head of the panels on home affairs, external affairs and finance respectively.
BJP MP Bhupender Yadav is now the new chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, in place of Congress MP Anand Sharma.
Sharma will now head the committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests in place of his party leader Renuka Chowdhury.
The panel headed by Yadav on commerce will now be chaired by his party's ally SAD MP Naresh Gujaral.
TMC MP Derek O'Brien has replaced Mukul Roy as chairman of the committee on transport, tourism and culture.
Heads of the remaining panels have been given extension.
