NDA candidate Harivansh re-elected as Rajya Sabha deputy chairman

Singh was elected through a voice vote that was conducted on the first day of the Parliament Monsoon Session.

It was a smooth sail for JD(U)’s Harivansh, the NDA’s candidate for the post of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, election for which was held on Monday.

Harivansh beat Manoj Kumar Jha of the RJD, who was the joint Opposition candidate, in a voice vote. This would be Harivansh’s second innings as the Deputy Chairman of the Upper House.

“Whether it is this side or that side, Harivansh treats all in the same manner, without differentiating, without being impartial,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after the election.

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The Prime Minister said that “to ensure that Parliamentarians play within the rules is quite challenging”, adding, “I was already sure that he will be a good umpire, but with his decisions and his decisive power, he even assured those who did not know him.”

Harivansh, the Prime Minister said, earned the respect of the House during his term as the Deputy Chairman over the last two years. His name was proposed by BJP chief J P Nadda, and seconded by Leader of the House Thawarchand Gehlot.

Congratulating Harivansh, Leader of the Opposition in the House Ghulam Nabi Azad said “he has tried to do justice to members of all the parties present in the House”. Azad mentioned that “whoever is in opposition usually has a complaint that they get less attention”. He said that whether it is the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman or any chairperson, “they always try that every person should get the opportunity to speak, from big parties, the government, opposition as well as the leaders of smaller parties, or even those who are nominated or are single members (from their parties), because here we are all equal, all members of the Parliament are equal”.

Leaders of TMC, SP, BJD, TRS, YSR Congress and DMK, among others, also congratulated Harivansh.

Thanking the members, Harivansh said he had learned a lot from the several leaders of different parties, many of whom have helped him in the past to get a better understanding of the rules and conventions of the House.

“I am among such people who have had a very long and prosperous Parliamentary life, but they are my strength,” he said.

Harivansh added that “whenever such a situation has come, and will come in the future too, they will lead the way to move forward following the rules and procedures”.