While the stint of incumbent Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha PJ Kurien is ending on June 30, the name of BJD’s Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya for the post is being discussed in political circles.
It is so speculated that Opposition parties, whose number in the Parliament’s Upper House is more than the ruling NDA’s, may take this opportunity to take the BJD to their side.
Given the recent turnout of events post Karnataka election, it has been an established fact that the Congress and other opposition parties are now joining hands to keep BJP out of power.
The BJD has nine members in the Rajya Sabha.
However, Prasanna Acharya denied such speculations, saying that no decision for election to the post has been taken yet.
“Such reports have come in the media and nothing has come to my knowledge yet.
All such are policy decisions and my party supremo (CM Naveen Patnaik) will take an appropriate decision,” Acharya said and added that the BJD’s stand to maintain equidistance from the BJP and the Congress is still intact.
Sources said the election for the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman post is likely to be held in the upcoming monsoon session of the Parliament.