Congress secures chairs for one Rajya Sabha, three Lok Sabha committees

The Congress will chair the External Affairs, Agriculture, and Rural Development Committees in the Lok Sabha and the Education Committee in the Rajya Sabha

Negotiations between the government and the Opposition regarding the Parliamentary Standing Committees have concluded, with the Congress securing chairs for three committees in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha.

The Congress will chair the External Affairs Standing Committee, the Standing Committee on Agriculture, and the Standing Committee on Rural Development in the Lok Sabha. In the Rajya Sabha, the Congress will head the Standing Committee on Education, according to a report by the Indian Express.

Discussions about committee allocations between the government and Opposition parties have been ongoing for several months.

The Congress had initially requested chairs for five Parliamentary Standing Committees—four in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha. Additionally, one committee chair each is expected to be allocated to INDIA allies, including the Samajwadi Party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). For the Rajya Sabha position, the Congress had aimed for the influential Committee on Home Affairs.

Numerous meetings between government representatives and Opposition members were held before the final decision was made. Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju and union minister of state for law and justice and parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal participated in these discussions. The Congress was represented by deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, along with party whips Kodikunnil Suresh and Jairam Ramesh, the report said.

Five standing committees of Parliament were constituted on Monday, with Congress MP and general secretary in charge (organisation) K C Venugopal appointed as the chairperson of the Committee on Public Accounts. This role traditionally goes to the Opposition.

Other committees established included the Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes, chaired by Ganesh Singh (Bharatiya Janata Party); the Committee of Estimates, led by Sanjay Jaiswal (Bharatiya Janata Party); the Committee on Public Undertakings, overseen by Baijayant Panda (Bharatiya Janata Party); and the Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, directed by Faggan Singh Kulaste (Bharatiya Janata Party), the report said.

On August 27, All India Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien addressed a letter to Rajya Sabha leader of the house J P Nadda, expressing concern over the delay in reconstituting department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DPSCs). O’Brien highlighted that this delay could significantly impact the democratic process and the quality of legislation.

In the previous Lok Sabha term, with 53 members, the Congress chaired only one committee. This term, with 99 members in the Lok Sabha and substantial representation from other Opposition parties such as the Samajwadi Party (37), All India Trinamool Congress (29), and DMK (22), these parties are expected to gain additional roles within the House committees, the report stated.