NDA candidate Harivansh elected RS Dy Chairman
NEW DELHI: The ruling NDA on Thursday comfortably bagged the post of deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha when journalist-turned-politician Harivansh of the JD(U) beat Congress’ B K Hariprasad in an election that was seen as a test for the opposition unity ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
In a boost to the Bjp-led National Democratic Alliance(nda), its candidate Harivansh, the 62-year-old first-time MP from the Nitish Kumarled party, got 125 votes as against 105 polled by Hariprasad, who was the opposition nominee.
The post of the deputy chairman is lying vacant since the retirement of P J Kurien of the Congress on July 1.
The entire House congratulated Harivansh with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a lighter vein, saying “ab sub kuch ‘Hari Bharose’. Aur mujhe vishwas hai ke sabhi, idhar ho ya udhar, sabhi sansadon per Hari Kripa bani rahegi (everything is now in the hands of Hari or God. And I am confident that every member, whether on this side or that side, will have his mercy).”
The leader of the House Arun Jaitley and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also led the felicitations. Jaitley, who is recuperating after a renal transplant, attended the house after a long gap.
Harivansh said he would endeavour
to uphold the dignity of the Upper House and expressed the hope that differences would be ironed out through constructive debates, consensus and guidance.
As many as 232 members out of the effective strength of 244 voted thereby reducing the majority mark to 117.
The Bjp-led NDA was present in full strength in the House and also got the support of fence sitters BJD(9) and TRS(6). The AIADMK with 13 members also voted for the NDA.
Two members each of the Congress, TMC, DMK and one from Samajwadi Party(sp) were absent from the house at the time of voting. The PDP and the AAP, which have two and three members respectively, did not participate in the voting, sources in the Rajya Sabha secretariat said.
Two members of YSRCP abstained from the voting.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu initiated the process of the election by calling for the division of votes in the House. Earlier, Azad hoped the new Deputy Chairman would give enough opportunity to the opposition members to raise their issues.
Welcoming the new deputy chairman, Chairman Naidu expressed
confidence that he will live up to the expectations of the House. Harivansh
later presided over the proceedings of the House and was applauded with thumping of desks by members.
Later in a lighter vein, some members including TDP’S YS Chowdhary and Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut said the Chairman was like a “strict headmaster”, and the members would now get “some relief ” with Harivansh being elected his deputy.
TMC’S Derek O’brien congratu
lated both Harivansh and Hariprasad, saying both the “batsmen have scored centuries”.