Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiaih Naidu wanted consensus, but as of now election appears likely. (RSTV grab via PTI)
The ruling NDA and the Opposition is bracing for a tight contest for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, for which elections will be held on Thursday. The NDA is likely to field JD(U)’s Harivansh for the post. Although top Opposition leaders met today, they did not finalise a name.
In a boost to the Opposition, the TDP attended their meeting. For the Opposition, several names are doing the rounds — including that of DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, NCP’s Vandana Chavan, nominated member K T S Tulsi and BJD’s Prasanna Acharya (subject to the party joining the Opposition block). NCP leader Praful Patel did not take any name or suggest that his party is interested in contesting, it is learnt.
While all eyes are on fence-sitters such as TRS and BJD, sources in opposition parties said the Telangana party is likely to go with the NDA. Both the opposition and the ruling alliance are now wooing the BJD. The YSR Congress had earlier announced its decision to vote against the BJP in the event of an election.
Opposition leaders will meet again on Tuesday afternoon to finalise their candidate. Sources said Leader of Opposition in RS Ghulam Nabi Azad said in the meeting that his party is open to the idea of supporting any candidate “who can mobilise the support” and challenge the NDA.
The Trinamool Congress had earlier indicated that it is not keen to field a candidate but Congress sources said that “no one can be ruled out.”
Meanwhile, elections to two vacancies in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) threw up interesting results. TDP’s C M Ramesh, supported by the combined Opposition, won, as did BJP’s Bhupender Yadav. Harivansh of the JD(U), the third candidate backed by the NDA, lost. Ramesh got 106 votes, while Yadav bagged 69, and Harivansh 26. Ramesh later attended the Opposition meeting.
The Opposition, sources said, has at least 116 votes, including two of YSR Congress. With one seat vacant, the strength of Rajya Sabha is 244 and the winning candidate requires 123 votes.
Besides the nominated and Independent members affiliated to it, the BJP is banking on support of 13 members of AIADMK, nine of BJD, six of TRS and two members of YSR Congress, party floor managers said. Put together, the BJP is hopeful of crossing the halfway mark. But there is a glitch, as sources said the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is unhappy at the party’s move to pitch a JD(U) candidate. To placate the long-term ally, BJP chief Amit Shah spoke to SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, but the latter, who expressed displeasure over the BJP’s decision, has not taken a decision to support the candidate, it is learnt.
At the Opposition meeting, it was decided that leaders would consult respective party heads and meet on Tuesday to finalise the joint candidate.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav, DMK’s Siva, BSP’s Satish Chandra Mishra, NCP’s Praful Patel, CPI’s D Raja, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, RJD’s Misa Bharti and CPI(M)’s T K Rangarajan attended the meeting at Azad’s office in Parliament House.