JPC meets tomorrow: JD(U), BSP, SP hold the key

As the JPC meets tomorrow to adopt its controversial report on 2G spectrum scam, all eyes are now on members of JD(U), BSP and SP which have not made their stand clear on supporting the document which gave a clean chit to the Prime Minister but indicted former Telecom Minister A Raja.
The government can breathe easy with NCP scaling down its demand for calling Raja as a witness. The UPA ally has said it does not wish to make calling Raja as a witness an issue.
"It is the opinion of the party. We have registered our opinion to the JPC. But we do not wish to make it into an issue. We have told the committee our stand," the sole NCP member in the panel Y P Trivedi told PTI.

By demanding that Raja be called as a witness, it had joined opposition parties, including BJP, the Left, DMK and JD (U) over the issue.
However, JD (U) sources said their two members in the JPC may not attend tomorrow's meeting convened to adopt the draft report.
Congress hopes BSP with two members and SP with one member will side with UPA. But the two parties have not yet made their stand clear.

The opposition is likely to press for a vote for the adoption of the report. If 2 JD(U) members remain absent, then UPA with 11 members and three from BSP and SP would muster 14 votes in the 30-member panel which will in that case have an effective strength of 28.

The opposition had recently slammed the government for nominating Rajya Sabha member Ashok S Ganguly alleging he would support UPA in the panel and tilt the balance.
The opposition camp has BJP (6), BJD (1), TMC (1), CPI (1), CPI-M (1), DMK (1) and AIADMK (1). The JPC has 20 members from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
The panel has not been able to meet for a host of reasons since April when the draft report was circulated to the members.
The term of the JPC was recently extended till the end of the winter session of Parliament. This was the sixth extension to the JPC set up in March, 2011.