New Delhi: With opposition deciding to release the name of its joint candidate once the notification for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election is out, the BJP too has decided to not field its own candidate and try for a consensus to emerge.
According to sources, the BJP is open to the idea of giving the deputy chairman’s post to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Naresh Gujral.
The BJP does not enjoy a majority in the House and, therefore, having its own candidate as deputy chairman will work in its favour.
Leaders from the Congress and various other parties met in the office of the Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad in Parliament House on Monday to zero in the name of their joint candidate.
Election to the post of deputy chairman is being seen as a key test for opposition parties led by Congress, as they look to retain the position.
In a boost to the Opposition, the YSRCP on Sunday decided to vote against the BJP candidate in the event of an election for the post of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) with nine members and the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) with six members have not yet clarified their position. The two parties, though with marginal presence, could be the deciding factor. Both have said their decision would depend on the “candidate”.
To win, a candidate needs 122 votes if all the 245 members vote.
The BJP has 69 members in Rajya Sabha. Four more were nominated by the President last week. Together with its allies and Independents, it is expecting to get around 115 votes. The party is not sure about which way the AIADMK, with 13 votes, will swing. The BJP is also hoping that PDP won’t go against it.
If the BJP manages to win the post, it will be the fifth constitutional post, after president, vice president, prime minister and Lok Sabha speaker, which its party member will occupy.
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