Jayanti Natarajan quits PAC, puts Cong in a tizzy

Jayanti Natarajan's elevation as Union minister has created an internal crisis in the Congress. The environment minister on Monday morning resigned from Parliament's Public Accounts Committee.

The Congress enjoyed a majority in the PAC when Natarajan was part of the panel. It is believed that it was her dissent vote that saw the report on the 2G Spectrum case prepared by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dr Murli Manohar Joshi being rejected.

What is worrying the Congress is the possibility that the BJP may win the vacant seat if polls were held during Parliament's monsoon session, thereby denting the party's majority in the PAC.

The Congress will have to look for support from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party to ensure that its candidate gets elected to the PAC.

Meanwhile, the name of Oscar Fernandes is being proposed as the Congress candidate.