BJP to field candidate for RS deputy chairman election

The BJP will field its candidate for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman's post, which will fall vacant with present incumbent P J Kurien's term expiring this month, but favours a consensus, senior party leader Dharmendra Pradhan said.

"BJP will field its candidate for the RS deputy chairman's post but we want that there should be a consensus candidate. If required we will seek the cooperation of Congress also," the union minister told reporters here.

According to media reports here, BJD vice-president and its leader in the Rajya Sabha Prasanna Acharya and Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Sekhar Ray are being considered as the two most probable choices for the post.

 

The BJD is, however, yet to decide its course of action.

BJD spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP P K Deb said that no party has so far contacted its president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman's election.

"We are waiting for the things to unfold. Our leader in Lok Sabha Bhartuhari Mahatab and leader in the Rajya Sabha Prasanna Acharya will discuss the matter with BJD president Naveen Patnaik," Deb said.

Asked, Acharya said, "I came to know from the media about my being in the race. As far as BJD is concerned there is no change in the party's stand of maintaining distance from both BJP and Congress."

A senior BJD leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Patnaik is unlikely to change the party's stand to maintain equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress at a time when the general election is less than a year away.

"But how can a BJD candidate become deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha without support of either the Congress or the BJP," he asked.

While there was no reaction from the Congress, reports in a section of the media said the party may back the BJD for the post to keep the BJP out of the race.

Election to the post would be held in the ensuing monsoon session of Parliament.

While the BJD has nine members in the Rajya Sabha, one requires 122 votes to win the deputy chairman election in the House of 245 members. The BJP has 67 members, and the Congress 51 in the House.