Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh to lose chair

Harivansh Narayan Singh, the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, is set to lose his position. According to sources in the Janata Dal (United), Singh would soon be asked by the JD(U) to demit the constitutional office. With his party JD(U) out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) now, the BJP will appoint one of its own Rajya Sabha members in his place.

Singh was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2014 by the JD(U) and was elected Deputy Chairman of the Upper House of Parliament as an NDA candidate in 2018, defeating Congress candidate BK Hariprasad. He was elected to the constitutional office again in September 2020 after the JD(U) returned him to the Rajya Sabha that year.

Speaking to The Daily Guardian, sources said that, amid the change of government in Bihar, if any politician who is in a tight spot it is the journalist-turned politician from Ranchi. Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh, the national president of the JD(U), while interacting with reporters in Patna on Thursday said that he had spoken to Singh regarding the political changes in the state. “Harivansh ji told me he is with Nitish Kumar,” said Singh. Another politician who is set to be booted out is the BJP legislator from Lakhisarai, Vijay Kumar Sinha, who is Speaker of Bihar Assembly. Fifty-five MLAs of the Grand Alliance on Wednesday submitted a no confidence notice against him, which has been sent to the Secretary of the state Assembly.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has made his displeasure known with the conduct of Sinha many times in the past, told journalists on Thursday that the “Speaker should decide whether to continue in the chair or quit”.

The no trust motion moved against Sinha would be taken up for discussion during the two-day special session of state legislature on 24 August in the assembly and on 25 August in the council.

In the meanwhile, there is some tussle for important portfolios in the Cabinet, which is slated for expansion during the special session of the Assembly, between the JD(U) and RJD. Nitish has turned down RJD’s demand for home portfolio. Now, the RJD has demanded the post of the Speaker as per the power sharing agreements, sources said.