Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha P J Kurien is set to retire in July.
With the NDA and UPA evenly poised in the Rajya Sabha, the election to the post of Deputy Chairman of the Upper House looks all set to be a close contest. Opposition parties have already started discussing possible options for a consensus candidate, even as there is speculation about BJP “offering” the post to its disgruntled ally Shiv Sena.
With 67 MPs, BJP is now the single largest party in the Rajya Sabha. Along with Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, RPI, TRS, JD(U), Sikkim Democratic Front, AIADMK and some other smaller parties, BJP can cobble up about 122 votes; BJD is expected to abstain while YSR Congress with two is yet to show its cards. Ranged on the other side is Congress with 51 along with Trinamool, SP, BSP, RJD, Left, DMK, Muslim League, Kerala Congress (Mani), Aam Aadmi Party, TDP etc, with the numbers adding up to 112.
There are eight nominated MPs, most of whom are expected to vote for the NDA candidate. TRS on the other hand has reached out to the Opposition camp with Telengana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao flying down to Kolkata to meet his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee. When Banerjee later came to Delhi, TRS MP K Kavitha called on her at the Trinamool office in Parliament. A few votes here and there and the election for Deputy Chairman post could swing either way, feel Opposition parties. The incumbent P J Kurien is set to retire in July.
Unlike TDP which recently walked out of the NDA over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh, Shiv Sena has been an opposition within the NDA with party chief Uddhav Thackeray not only joining Opposition parties in their meeting with then President Pranab Mukherjee on demonetisation but having been deeply critical of the government on various issues. There is speculation that BJP may make an outreach to its oldest ally by offering the post.
After the Uttar Pradesh bypolls gave a fillip to Opposition unity with BJP biting the dust in front of a united SP and BSP, Opposition parties have started informal interactions about a joint candidate for the post of Deputy Chairman. The Deputy Chairman runs the Rajya sabha in absence of the chairman who is the Vice-President. The post has traditionally gone to the ruling party but with the numbers delicately poised, the Opposition sees another opportunity to give a fight to the government.
The Opposition had last year fielded Meira Kumar as a consensus candidate for the post of President against Ramnath Kovind.
“That was a political decision, even when we knew there was little chance of a victory, we picked up the gauntlet. Here it is a very real chance and with some smart candidate selection we could push things,” said an Opposition MP.
Some of the attributes that made former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar the consensus candidate could guide choices this time too — Kumar was chosen as a Dalit woman of proven track record. However, parties are reluctant to talk about names until structured discussions between leaders take place.