JD (U)'s Harivansh enters fray for Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman post

JD (U) leader Harivansh on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for the post of the Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson.

BJP President J P Nadda proposed the nomination of Harivansh and Lok Janashakti Party's Ramvilas Paswan seconded it.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Leader of Rajya Sabha Thawarchand Gehlot, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Akali Dal leader Naresh Gujaral, BJP leaders Bhupendra Yadav, Shiv Pratap Shukla were among those present when Harivansh submitted his papers to Rajya Sabha Secretary General Desh Deepak Verma.

BJP has issued a three-line whip to its members to be present in the Rajya Sabha on September 14 when the election is scheduled to take place.

Opposition parties have also decided to put up a candidate as they are not keen to give the BJP-led NDA a walkover. DMK member Tiruchi Siva is the frontrunner as the joint opposition candidate.

The last date for filing of nomination papers is September 11.

As the elections for the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson got underway, Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote to Speaker Om Birla about the post of Deputy Speaker, which was yet to be filled.

“Already a year has elapsed but still the Lok Sabha is deprived of having a Deputy Speaker, as if it appears one-horn chair of the lower house. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha has been on the verge electing Deputy Chairman of the Upper House, it is an opportune moment to elect the Deputy Speaker of the lower house,” Chowdhury said.

The post of the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson fell vacant after the tenure of Harivansh as member of the Upper House ended in April. Harivansh has since been re-elected to the Rajya Sabha and is in the fray again for the post.

In the Upper House of 244 members, the BJP has 87 members and its allies AIADMK (9), JDU (5), Akali Dal (3), LJP (1), RPI-A (1), MDMK (1), Nominated (4) and Independent (2). Besides the support of 113 members, the BJP is also hoping to get parties such as YSRCP (6), BJD (9), and TRS (7) to support the NDA candidate.

In the previous elections held in August 2018, Harivansh had defeated Congress member B K Hariprasad - the joint opposition candidate. Harivansh had polled 125 votes while Hariprasad managed to secure 105 votes.