Congress faces heat from allies in Rajya Sabha

The United Progressive Alliance members desire to head the parliamentary standing committees is making the Congress party feel uncomfortable in Rajya Sabha.

The Congress, which is in minority in Rajya Sabha, is expecting a major crisis during the next Parliament session as it proposes to get government bills passed.

To resolve a major political deadlock, Union Minister Prithviraj Chauhan has convened a meeting on Tuesday of floor leaders of Rajya Sabha to sort out the membership of the eight standing committees.

A Rajya Sabha member heads the standing committees of ministries of Commerce, Home, Human Resources Development, Health and Family Welfare Industries, Personnel Law and Justice, Science and Technology, Transport and Tourism. In the allocation of 24 Union ministries between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, eight are earmarked for Upper House while 16 Union ministries are headed by Lok Sabha MPs.

The UPA allies are demanding representation as chairmen of standing committees in Rajya Sabha. Congress has 71 while BJP 50, and the other parties Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist have 13 MPs each.

Keeping its allies in good humour is Chouhan's main concern as any government bill or Constitutional amendment bill is bound to be defeated as the government is in a minority in Rajya Sabha.

With the Congress winning 206 seats in Lok Sabha, the ruling party does not want to give chairmanship of standing committee to allies like the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Trinamool Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.

The 2010 Union Budget was not scrutinised by the standing committees due to heavy political pressure. Speaker Meira Kumar and Rajya Sabha Chairman Mohammad Hamid Ansari are likely to meet early next week to finalise the standing committees.

As a preparatory work, Prithviraj Chauhan has decided to meet Ram Gopal Yadav, Sitaram Yechury, S S Ahluwalia and Dr Mitreyan.