Contesting poll to keep federalism alive, says Jha

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 13

RJD MP Manoj Jha, who is Opposition’s joint candidate for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson, says he has accepted the candidature despite numbers in the House not favouring him for one reason and that is the health of parliamentary democracy and to keep alive the federal scheme of the Constitution.

Talking to The Tribune, Jha says he once lost a student union election by three votes and after his defeat, fellow students had regretted the poll outcome.

Urging Rajya Sabha members to “stand up and be counted” in front of people of the country, he hoped that regional parties that form governments in states “should think before deciding on supporting candidates”.

“It is the collective wish of the Opposition that this election must not be seen as a contest for power to legislate at the level of the Centre. It should also not be seen as a contest between two individuals,” asserts Jha.

He further says, “In view of the great parliamentary tradition, this election is about two different versions of our parliamentary democracy — one, which only sees it as a number game, and the other which places importance on critique, discussion, and consensus building in the interest of the country and its people.”

Jha says he is very hopeful that some of the parties outside the Opposition will support him. He goes on to add: “I am requesting MPs to support me in not simply winning an election, but in making a strong statement in favour of an accountable system of governance.”