Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Gets Another Term; This Time, Nominated as a Member by the President

New Delhi: The tenure of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh as a member concludes today—April 10. The election process for the seat falling vacant has already been completed. Harivansh’s party, the Janata Dal (United), had not sent him to the Rajya Sabha this time around. Harivansh’s departure from the Upper House was considered all but certain; however, at the very last moment, he received the gift of another term.

The President has nominated Harivansh as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha under her discretionary quota. A Gazette notification regarding this matter has also been issued. Following this nomination under the President’s quota, it is now confirmed that Harivansh’s voice will continue to resonate in the Upper House for the next six years. This will mark Harivansh’s third term as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

The Gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs states that the President nominates Harivansh to the Rajya Sabha to fill a vacancy arising from the retirement of a nominated member. It is noteworthy that, under Article 80 of the Constitution, President Droupadi Murmu is empowered to nominate 12 members to the Rajya Sabha.

A resident of Jaiprakash Nagar in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, Harivansh was first elected as a Rajya Sabha MP in April 2014. At that time, it was the JD(U) that had sent him to the Upper House. The JD(U) sent Harivansh to the Rajya Sabha for two consecutive terms, but the party did not grant him a third term. Consequently, his parliamentary innings in the Upper House was presumed to have come to an end; however, at the eleventh hour, the government facilitated his nomination under the President’s quota.

Harivansh was elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha on August 9, 2018. On September 14, 2020, he was elected Deputy Chairman of the Upper House for the second consecutive time. Now that he has secured a third term in the Upper House, the question arises: will he be elected Deputy Chairman for a third consecutive time as well? All eyes are now fixed on this.