Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh announced that the Opposition will boycott the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman election on April 17. Ramesh criticized the government for not appointing a Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha for seven years, a first in history. He raised concerns over the nomination of Shri Harivansh by the President for a third term without proper consultation with the Opposition.
Ramesh highlighted that the decision to boycott the election was a protest against the lack of consultation and not a disrespect towards Shri Harivansh. He expressed the hope for a more inclusive approach in the future. The election for the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman is scheduled for April 17, with Harivansh being the NDA’s candidate.
Harivansh, a resident of Ranchi in Jharkhand, has been a Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar since 2014. He first became Deputy Chairman in 2018, defeating Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad. Harivansh succeeded Congress leader P.J. Kurien and is known for being one of the few non-Congress leaders to hold this position.
