VP Radhakrishnan calls meeting of Rajya Sabha floor leaders on October 7

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan has called a meeting of 30 floor leaders in the Upper House on October 7, his first formal deliberations with the senior MPs after his election as Vice President almost a month ago.

The meeting, which will also see the attendance of Deputy Chairman Harivansh, is called next Tuesday at the Parliament House Annexe Extension Building at 4 PM to which all floor leaders are invited. On September 12 hours after his swearing-in, Radhakrishnan had a "courtesy" meeting with a group of Rajya Sabha floor leaders.

This meeting, which comes a month ahead of the Winter Session that is likely to start late November after the Bihar Assembly elections, is scheduled at a time the Opposition had strained ties with his predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who had suddenly resigned from the post.

Sources said Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge is unlikely to attend the meeting as he is recuperating after a surgical procedure to implant a pacemaker in his heart. Trinamool Congress floor leader Derek O'Brien will also not attend the meeting due to his prior engagements in Kolkata while the party has nominated Deputy Leader Sagarika Ghose to attend the meeting.

Invites have also gone to Leader of the House JP Nadda, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Ministers of State Arjun Ram Meghwal and L Murugan, HD Deve Gowda (JD-S), Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Sanjay Singh (AAP), Sasmit Patra (BJD), M Thambidurai (AIADMK), John Brittas (CPI-M), P Sandosh Kumar (CPI) and Ramgopal Yadav (SP).

The invitees also include Union Ministers Ramdas Athawale (RPI-A) and Jayant Chowdhury (RLD), PC Gupta (RJD), Subhash Chandra Bose Pili (YSR Congress), K Suresh Reddy (BRS), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena-UBT), Abdul Wahab (Muslim League), W Kharluki (NPP), K Vanlalvena (MNF), R Narzary (UPPL) and Jose K Mani (Kerala Congress-M) among others.

In his meeting with a group of leaders earlier, Radhakrishnan had told them that he intends to run the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha by not creating tension among various parties.

Seeking their cooperation in the smooth functioning of the House, sources had then said that Radhakrishnan told the leaders that he has a long tenure as an Opposition lawmaker and he would not discriminate against anyone. He said his intention is to run the House by minimising trouble in the House.