NDA candidate Harivansh bags RS deputy chairman post

Harivansh Narayan Singh shows a victory sign after being elected as RS deputy chairman. Pic/PTI

The ruling NDA on Thursday comfortably bagged the post of deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha when journalist-turned politician Harivansh of the JD(U) beat Congress' B K Hariprasad in an election that was seen as a test for the Opposition unity ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

In a boost to the BJP-led NDA, its candidate Harivansh, the 62-year-old first-time MP from the Nitish Kumar-led party, got 125 votes as against 105 polled by Hariprasad, who was the Opposition nominee. The post of the deputy chairman is lying vacant since the retirement of P J Kurien of the Congress on July 1.

The entire House congratulated Harivansh with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a lighter vein, saying, "Ab sub kuch Hari Bharose. Aur mujhe vishwas hai ke sabhi, idhar ho ya udhar, sabhi sansadon per Hari kripa bani rahegi (everything is now in the hands of Hari or God. And I am confident that every member, whether on this side or that side, will have his mercy)."

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