Emerging as the third largest party in the Parliament has already fetched rich dividend for the DMK. The principal opposition party in Tamil Nadu, which did not have single representative in the 16th Lok Sabha, has secured space in most of the Constitutionally mandated Parliamentary Committees in the incumbent Lok Sabha.
Chennai:
Parliamentary party leader of DMK, T R Baalu, has been made a member of the 15-member of the Committee on Public Accounts. He would serve as the member of the committee till April 30, 2020. Central Chennai MP Dayanidhi Maran and Thanjavur MP SS Palanimanickam have been made members of the Committee on Estimates. Palanimanickam was also a member of the Business Advisory Committee, which would decide the transactions of the Lok Sabha.
Arakkonam MP S Jagathrakshakan and TKS Elangovan (Rajya Sabha) represent their respective houses in the Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes (Congress MP from Karur S Jothimani is also a member). Thoothukudi MP and DMK women’s wing secretary K Kanimozhi has been accommodated in the Committee on Public Undertakings. Former telecom minister A Raja, who is among the party senior MPs, has found space in the Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
This apart, relatively young MPs who have been vying for a membership in other committees have indicated their preferences to Baalu. Sources with knowledge of the committee nominations revealed that Baalu had discussed the preferences with MPs and handed over the same to Lok Sabha Speaker’s office after informing party president Stalin.
Being the third largest party in the Parliament, the DMK is likely to chair one of the committees. However, there is a likelihood of the committees being relatively less significant, given that friendly parties like TRS, YSRCP, BJP, Shiv Sena and JD (U) would get first preference from the BJP.
But the BJP seem not to show any haste unlike DMK in finalising the committees. “Our leaders have tabled the list to the Speaker. Other parties have yet to furnish the list of nominees. The Speaker is not showing great interest in getting the list from them. If not now, they have to finalise the list soon,” remarked a DMK leader requesting anonymity.