Confrontation between the government and the Opposition could intensify further irrespective of whether the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report of Parliament on the 2G spectrum scam would be placed in the Lok Sabha.

The proceedings of the joint parliamentary committee constituted to probe the 2G spectrum allocation scam may not be smooth following “sharp divisions” on the party line and the “unprecedented” stormy meeting of the public accounts committee held here on Thursday.

The controversy over “legality” of adjourning a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament and its report on the 2G spectrum scam has reached the Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar after the members of Congress and its allies and the Opposition raised this issue in the meeting which turned out to be “unprecedented and stormy” here on Thursday.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Wednesday virtually split on the 2G spectrum allocation issue on the political lines with the Congress and DMK members coming out openly against PAC chairman Murli Manohar Joshi and made serious allegations about his style of functioning and intention.

The Congress is not unduly worried about whether or not the DMK members remain in the Union Cabinet in the wake of the recent developments in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

Uttar Pradesh is hotting up even before the outcome of Assembly elections in five states with three major players — BSP, Samajwadi Party and Congress — gearing up for the electoral battle next year. The Congress has decided to release its first list of candidates next month.

The Congress core group, consisting of party chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and select top leaders, on Friday made it clear that controversies “won’t affect” the working of the Lokpal Bill drafting panel.

Social activist Anna Hazare could be the next trarget after Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan and Justice Santosh Hegde with the Congress insiders questioning his presence in the 10-member Joint Drafting Committee set up to draft the Lokpal Bill.

In a move aimed at killing two birds in one stroke, the Congress strategists are asking noted social activist Anna Hazare to launch his nationwide campaign against corruption from Narendra Modi-run Gujarat. “He could start the campaign from any Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state,” a CWC member said. The suggestion has come at a time when the main Opposition has been trying to fix the Congress over the graft issue inside and outside Parliament.

The Congress’ “crisis managers” are confident to contain the Anna Hazare factor. This is at a time when the regional players and the main Opposition BJP is yet to get a role in the fight against corruption. They are handling the factor on at least three fronts with a calculation that the whole issue (Lokpal bill and fight against corruption) could derail due to various factors.