BJP’s Manvendra Singh pro tem chairman of Vidhan Parishad

LUCKNOW: Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and newly elected Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Kunwar Manvendra Singh has been appointed pro tem chairman of the Vidhan Parishad, the Upper House of Uttar Pradesh’s bicameral legislature.

Governor Anandiben Patel administered the oath of office to him at a simple function at Raj Bhavan here on Sunday, a day after outgoing chairman and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ramesh Yadav retired on January 30, having completed his term.

The government approached the governor seeking appointment of Singh as pro tem chairman since getting a regular chairman through election or consensus was not possible for now while the post, as per the law, could not be left vacant.

Singh, who comes from the Bundelkhand region, is among the 12 new members elected unopposed to the Vidhan Parishad on January 21. Ten of the 12 members were from the BJP and the remaining two from the SP.

After taking oath, he headed to his office to assume charge as pro tem chairman.

He said to reporters there he knew his job well as he had served the House earlier, too, in the same capacity between 2002 and 2004.

“I will run the House with all my ability, taking all members on board,” he said.

Earlier, on Saturday, an SP delegation met the governor and submitted a memorandum,

demanding her to direct the government to hold the election to elect the new Vidhan Parishad chairman.

The party has a majority in the 100-member Vidhan Parishad and stood a good chance to get its candidate elected had there been an election to fill the vacant post of chairman.

The BJP, according to those familiar with the matter, would like to continue with the stopgap arrangement as a pro tem chairman till October when the party may gain a majority in the Upper House with the retirement of the SP’s 10 nominated members.