JD(U)-RJD face-off in Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman poll

Ahead of the Bihar assembly polls, arch-rivals JD(U) and RJD are set for a face-off in the election for the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman seat.

Opposition parties have decided to field RJD leader Manoj Jha as its joint candidate to take on JD(U) leader Harivansh, who is the nominee of the ruling NDA for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, the election for which is scheduled on Monday.

Jha, a former professor at the Delhi University, was chosen as the candidate by 12 political parties. He is scheduled to file the nomination papers on Friday.

The RJD leader's name was finalised after veteran DMK member Tiruchi Siva failed to get the approval from his party leadership to contest the poll.

Congress-led opposition had decided to put up a symbolic fight for the post which is set to be won easily by the NDA nominee.

The post of the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman fell vacant in April after Harivansh’s tenure in the Upper House came to an end. He has since been re-elected to the Rajya Sabha.

Harivansh was elected as Deputy Chairman in August 2018 when he had defeated the then joint opposition candidate B K Hariprasad.

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.

BJP has issued a whip to its members to be present in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, when the election is scheduled to take place at 3:00 p.m.

In the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, RJD is hoping to unseat the JDU-BJP alliance government headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.