Congress forms shadow committees to nail government

Keen to shore up its performance in parliament and play its role as an effective opposition to the Narendra Modi government inside and outside the house, the Congress has formed some shadow committees, party sources said.

The committees have been formed ahead of the winter session of parliament beginning Nov 24 to augment the party's role as an effective opposition.

The Congress is the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha with 44 seats though its leader in the house has not got recognition of Leader of Opposition.

In the Rajya Sabha, its numbers are more than that of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Though there was no official word on the committees, sources said these include experienced leaders of the party, including former ministers A.K. Antony, M. Veerappa Moily, Oscar Fernandes and Anand Sharma.

The party's leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, and in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad are also learnt to be members of the committees.

The sources said a committee has been entrusted work of several ministries.

They said a committee has been formed to deal with issues relating to finance, foreign affairs, commerce and information and broadcasting.

Other committees will deal with subjects such as rural development and environment, agriculture, drinking water and sanitation, panchayati raj and the northeast, railways, labour, health and women and child development and human resource development.

Loosely based on the concept in Britain where there is the idea of a shadow MP, the committees have their role cut out.

There is a view in the party that the committees should not be called "shadow" as they would look into a wide range of issues and not work of a specific minister.

After its massive defeat in Lok Sabha, the Congress has so far not come out with a plan of revival. The party also suffered defeats in the assembly polls in Maharashtra and Haryana and the party leaders are keen to arrest the losses.