New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha will hold the election for the post of deputy chairman April 17, and the ruling NDA is likely to push for re-electing Harivansh to the key post.
The post of the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha fell vacant after the tenure of Harivansh ended April 9. Harivansh has since been nominated to the Upper House by President Droupadi Murmu and took oath April 10.
Union minister and BJP leader J P Nadda, who is also leader of the house in Rajya Sabha, is learnt to have discussed the re-election of Harivansh as deputy chairman with leaders of various parties, while trying to bring about a broad consensus on his name.
However, the Congress, TMC and Left parties have raised objections to the “keenness” the ruling party is showing in holding elections for filling the post of deputy chairman of the Upper House, when the post of deputy speaker in Lok Sabha has been vacant since 2019.
An official announcement said that the election for the post of deputy chairman will be held on April 17 at 11 AM.
“The office of the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha having fallen vacant. The Chairman has, under rule 7 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), fixed Friday, the 17 of April, 2026, as the date for holding the election to the said office of the Deputy Chairman.
“The election will take place at 11-00 AM immediately after laying of papers/reports on the Table on that day,” a notification from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said.
Members can give notices of motions for election to the office of deputy chairman up to 12 noon on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
Those members who have yet to take oath as members of the Rajya Sabha will also take their oath/affirmation Thursday, April 16, when the upper house meets for a special session, during which the amendments to the Women’s Reservation Act will be taken up.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the government wants to “bulldoze” the appointment of the deputy chairman in the Rajya Sabha.
“A government that does not appoint a Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha for seven years wants to bulldoze the appointment of a Deputy Chairman in the Rajya Sabha in less than four days,” Ramesh said.
Trinamool Congress Leader Derek O’Brien said the BJP wanted to hold the election for the deputy chairman in the Upper House April 17 when the MPs are busy with state elections and questioned the “hurry”.
“Mocking Parliament Again,” O’Brien said in a post on X.
“Post of Deputy Speaker Lok Sabha vacant since 2019. Why is BJP in such a hurry to fill post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, vacant only for 10 days (sic),” O’Brien said in a post on X.
“Why does the BJP want to have this election April 17 when MPs busy with polls in their states? Shameless,” he said.
CPI leader P Sandosh also questioned the government, saying, “The BJP should show the same keenness in electing the deputy speaker in Lok Sabha, a post which has not been filled for several years.”
Harivansh, who was elected twice to the Rajya Sabha as a JD(U) candidate from Bihar, has held the post of deputy chairman for two terms and handled several contentious matters in the Upper House.
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