JD (U) likely to stake claim to Bihar Legislative Council’s chairman post

While NDA partners have started discussion on the issue, the JD (U) is likely to stake claim for the post reasoning that the Assembly Speaker’s post went to the BJP, said an NDA leader.

The Janata Dal United is likely to push for its candidate for the post of permanent chairman of Bihar Legislative Council during the upcoming budget session, citing its numerical strength in the Upper House, said a party leader aware of the developments.

JD(U) has the most number of MLCs in Bihar Legislative Council (HT Photo)

There are a few candidates in the reckoning for the top post with senior JD (U) MLC Ghulam Gaus being one of the front runners. JD (U) MLC Sanjeev Kumar Singh is another probable candidate for the post, said one NDA leader, who didn’t wish to be named.

“The JD (U) could play the minority card for Gaus’ appointment as the chairman. He belongs to the Pasmanda (backward classes) community and has a long political experience. But the picture will only be clear during the upcoming budget session,” said a former MLC, pleading anonymity.

While NDA partners have started discussion on the issue, the JD (U) is likely to stake claim for the post reasoning that the Assembly Speaker’s post went to the BJP, said the NDA leader quoted above.

The Upper House currently has 59 members against the total strength of 75. The JD (U) has 23, the BJP 19 and the LJP, HAM(S), VIP have one member each. Among the Opposition, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has six members while the Communist Party of India (CPI) has 2 members. There are two independents members as well. As many as 12 MLC seats nominated by the governor are lying vacant apart from four seats that have fallen vacant recently.

The Council is presently being run by acting chairman Awadesh Narayan Singh, who was appointed in June, 2020 post retirement of acting chairman Haroon Rashid.

By precedence, the election to the post is always held when the House is in session.

Meanwhile, Gaus, who was elected MLC in June from the Legislative Assembly quota, said he was not aware if his name was in the reckoning. “I have no idea about it,” he said. Gaus, a professor, has had a long political career, having served as MLC as well as the leader of the opposition in the Upper House as an RJD member before resigning from the party in 2014.

Meanwhile, there is uncertainty whether the main Opposition party in the Council, RJD, will get the Leader of the Opposition status as the party is still short of two MLCs required to get the status as per norms.

Former chief minister Rabri Devi, a sitting MLC, lost the status in June 2020 after five Grand Alliance MLCs switched to the JD (U).

“The RJD does not have the prerequisite number for claiming the status of LoP. But, that should not be a reason to deny it the status of the main opposition party,” said Bhola Yadav, a senior RJD leader and former MLA.