BJP issues whip to Rajya Sabha MPs as Harivansh Singh files nomination for deputy chairman post

NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh has filed his nomination for post of deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a three-line whip to all its Rajya Sabha MPs asking them to be present in the House on September 14. The Monsoon session of the Parliament is starting from September 14 and election for the post of deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha is slated to take place.

NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh has filed his nomination for the post. Harivansh is a Janata Dal (United) politician. The post was lying vacant after Harivansh’s term ended. He has since been re-elected to the Upper House as a member from Bihar.

The whip was issued by Shiv Pratap Shukla, BJP’s Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha. He cited “very important legislative business”.

The whip instructs, “All members of BJP in Rajya Sabha are therefore, requested to be positively present in the House throughout the day on Monday, September 14, 2020 and support the government’s stand”.

The whip comes a day after the Congress decided that the opposition will put up a joint candidate for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman. The decision was taken at the Congress Parliamentary strategy group meeting chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Congress is planning to launch an offensive on the Modi government and will be evolving a joint opposition strategy to make it a NDA vs joint opposition fight. A meeting between the Congress and leaders of other opposition parties is also likely to take place soon to discuss the strategy.