Three days after Janardan Sharma resigned as chair of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, the CPN-UML has claimed the post as the main opposition.

The PAC is the most powerful of 15 House committees, with the authority to check the expenditure from the state coffers. The committee can directly intervene in any government project in cases of irregularities. CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Sharma resigned from the post on Friday after he was offered a crucial ministry in the government led by party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. UML Chief Whip Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal said it was natural for his party to claim the post as only the opposition can maintain a check and balance in the government’s expenditures.

Sharma led the committee following the second Constituent Assembly elections even after his party joined the government led by KP Sharma Oli later. The process to elect the new committee chair has yet to begin.

Speaker Onsari Gharti has to approve his resignation before announcing the fresh leadership selection process. “We will field our candidate once the process starts. I’m quite sure the ruling parties that advocate a strong opposition will accept our demand,” said Dhakal. Considered close to UML Chairman Oli, Dhakal is a strong contender for the post. He became the chief whip after Agni Kharel became a minister in the earlier Cabinet.