NDA nominee Harivansh Narayan Singh was re-elected Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha on Monday as the Opposition did not press for voting though a motion to name RJD’s Manoj Jha as the Opposition candidate was moved.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu congratulated Harivansh.

While BJP member JP Nadda moved a motion in favour of the incumbent Deputy Chairman, Opposition leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Tiruchi Siva and Javed Ali Khan moved motions to elect RJD’s Manoj Jha.

“I hope that the Deputy Chairperson will run the House well. I appeal to all to cooperate with the Chair,” Modi said, adding that the JD(U) leader will manage the Rajya Sabha proceedings without partiality.

In his about 20-minute speech on the first day of Monsoon Session, Modi highlighted the role of Bihar in the country’s “democratic ethos”, recalling former greats like Jayaprakash Narayan and Karpuri Thakur while congratulating Harivansh, who got elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Upper House for a second time. 

Singh — who held the post since 2018 — happens to be from Bihar, a State headed for Assembly elections later this year.  In 2018, Harivansh Singh had defeated Congress’s BK Hariprasad in the election to the post.

 “Harivansh ji is a torchbearer of democracy, hailing from Bihar, a land known for its democratic ethos,” Modi said.

“We all know that Harivansh Ji hails from Jai Prakash ji’s village Sitabdiara,” said Modi.

Bihar has been the “land of India’s democratic system”, Modi said. “I believe that Harivansh Ji will take forward this legacy,” he added.

Terming Singh an “outstanding umpire who belongs to all sides of the aisle”, the Prime Minister said he has “conducted proceedings in an impartial manner”.

“The respect I hold for Harivansh ji, each member of the House shares. He has earned this respect. His unbiased role in the Parliament strengthens our democracy,” the Prime Minister added.

Naidu who earlier announced a new team of Vice Chairpersons, wished Harivansh for being elected second time as Deputy Chairman of the House.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad welcomed Harivansh’s re-election and said “we hope that the Deputy Chairperson will see us as equals”.

“This is the second time Harivansh Singh has been elected as the deputy chairman of the House. I congratulate him. He has been just to members of all parties,” said Azad.

 TMC member Derek O Brein said that Harivansh is the fortunate one of belonging to two pillars of the democracy, legislative now and earlier media which is counted as the fourth pillar.

The Opposition did not press for voting as many non-NDA parties did not commit support to Jha, while parties like YSR Congress and BJD announced support to the NDA nominee. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti had announced it will abstain.