NEW DELHI: The Opposition on Thursday announced the boycott of the election to the Deputy Chairman’s post in the Rajya Sabha, accusing the Centre of systematically undermining parliamentary conventions.
Chief Whip of Congress in the Upper House Jairam Ramesh said that the move marks the protest against the Modi government for not appointing a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha for seven years.
He also said that Harivansh, a nominated member, had been made National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate for the post, which never happened in the past.
In a post on X, Ramesh wrote that the Modi Government had not appointed a Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha for seven years, and that the counterpart post of Deputy Chairman has been lying vacant since the tenure of JD-U MP Harivansh ended on April 9.
“A day later he was nominated by the President of India as a member of the Rajya Sabha and he is now the NDA’s candidate for Deputy Chairman for a third term. Never before has a person nominated by the President to the Rajya Sabha been considered for the post of its Deputy Chairman,” Ramesh stated.
The Congress leader further added that the Government had not had any meaningful consultations with the Opposition on the matter.
“For these three reasons and as a mark of protest - but not with any disrespect to the very learned Shri Harivansh - the Opposition has regretfully decided to boycott the election of the Deputy Chairman scheduled for April 17,” he said.
“The Opposition hopes that Shri Harivansh 3.0 will be more accommodative of and receptive to the requests of the Opposition,” he wrote.
Union minister and Leader of House in Rajya Sabha JP Nadda is learnt to have discussed the re-election of Harivansh as Deputy Chairman with leaders of various parties, in an attempt to make a broad consensus on his candidature.
However, the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Left parties had objected to the ruling party’s “keenness” in holding elections though the post of deputy speaker in Lok Sabha has been vacant since 2019.
The election to the post of deputy chairman in Rajya Sabha will be held on April 17. The ruling NDA is likely to push for re-electing Harivansh to the key post.