Congress to skip Venkaiah Naidu’s breakfast party for new Rajya Sabha deputy chairman

Harivansh of the JD(U) beat Congress’ BK Hariprasad to win the deputy chairman seat of the Rajya Sabha in an election that was seen as a test for the opposition unity ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress Party will boycott a breakfast to be hosted by Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Nadu on Friday for the appointment of new deputy chairperson, Harivansh Singh, an MP from the Janata Dal - United (JDU).

Newly-elected deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh (left) is greeted by vice president M Venkaiah Naidu in Parliament, in New Delhi, on August 9, 2018. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

The Congress has not cited any particular reason for the boycott.

Singh was elected new Rajya Sabha deputy chairman with 125 votes on Thursday, defeating opposition candidate BK Hariprasad of the Congress who polled 105 votes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s phone calls to Biju Janata Dal president and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik to get his party to back the NDA candidate largely helped to secure victory for Singh.

While the NDA’s calculation on the number of votes hit the bull’s eye, the opposition fell short after MPs from a clutch of parties abstained from voting.

The election for Rajya Sabha deputy chairman was necessitated following the retirement of PJ Kurien in June.