Bihar vs Bihar in Rajya Sabha Deputy chairman election as Manoj Jha to take on Harivansh

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 10

Bihar appears to be the flavour of the season. After the ruling NDA fielded JDU’s Harivansh to contest for the election of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, the Congress-led opposition on Thursday finalised the candidature of RJD’s Manoj Jha.

The contest is virtually set to shape as Bihar versus Bihar ahead of the state elections.

Manoj Jha, a former academician, is 53 years old and will challenge former RS deputy chairperson Harivansh—the expiry of whose RS term recently led to the vacancy of the post.

Harivansh was since reelected to the upper house from Bihar.

The opposition choice fell on Jha after DMK declined the offer to contest and the majority of other non-NDA parties also showed little interest in entering a losing battle.

The ruling NDA has a comfortable majority in RS to get Harivansh elected.

For the Congress and RJD especially it would be a symbolic fight for “principles.”

The Congress candidate and then Rajya Sabha MP BK Hariprasad had in 2018 also contested against NDA nominee Harivansh and lost.