The National Democratic Alliance is likely to choose Harivansh Narayan Singh of the Janata Dal(United) as its candidate for the post of the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, where the government is not in a majority.
Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday announced the election for the post will be held at 11am on August 9, a day before the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament ends.
“The members can give their notice of motion till August 8 by 12 noon,” he said during Zero Hour.
Naidu had earlier suggested that the deputy chairman should be elected by consensus but the opposition is likely to be field a candidate as well neccessiating the election. According to reports, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy of the Trinamool Congress could be the opposition’s candidate.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that ideally the deputy chairman should be from the opposition parties.
“It will be in the fitness of things to have a deputy chairman from the Opposition. The Congress party so far has not decided any candidate. The Opposition as such has not decided any candidate. But, we are very clear about it that it should be a consensus candidate,” Azad was quoted as sayig by news agency ANI.
{{/usCountry}}“It will be in the fitness of things to have a deputy chairman from the Opposition. The Congress party so far has not decided any candidate. The Opposition as such has not decided any candidate. But, we are very clear about it that it should be a consensus candidate,” Azad was quoted as sayig by news agency ANI.
{{/usCountry}}The post of the deputy chairman has been lying vacant since June this year following the retirement of PJ Kurien, who was elected to the Upper House on a Congress ticket from Kerala.
According to the rules, any member may give notice in writing addressed to the secretary-general of a motion that another member be chosen as the deputy chairman of the council.
The notice is then seconded by a third member and accompanied by a statement by the member whose name is proposed in the notice that he is willing to serve as the deputy chairman if elected.
A member cannot propose or second more than one motion.
A side needs 123 parliamentarians to push their candidate for the post held by Kurien since 2012.