Determined to not make it any easier for the BJP leadership, expelled leader Jaswant Singh has decided to dig in his heels and continue with chairmanship of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), to which he was nominated earlier this month.
The senior leader has made up his mind not to step down as head of the prestigious committee, a decision that he took after consultations with aides and others well versed with parliamentary procedures. They told Singh that it was not necessary for him to tender his resignation from the post.
The senior leader, who now represents Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency, will be able to hold on to the post for a year, as the term of office of members of the committee does not exceed one year at a time. The-22 member committee, which has the powers to examine government spending, was constituted on August 6. Singh was nominated chairman by Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar on a recommendation that was made informally by the BJP leadership.
A change in the PAC chairmanship, however, will only be possible if the Speaker decides to do so, whether or not there is a demand made by the BJP. As per the rules of the Lok Sabha, she alone holds the power to make changes in the chairmanship midway.
According to sources close to him, Jaswant Singh had earlier decided to step down as chairman of the PAC immediately after his expulsion from the BJP, but then opted to continue after being advised by a friend, who told him that doing so would only make it that much easy for the BJP leadership. “Let the BJP contest it. It will become another issue, and then I will respond,” he reportedly told his aides.