Explained: How Rajya Sabha’s Deputy Chairman is elected

The monsoon session is all set to start on Monday and with that the upper house of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, will elect a deputy chairman, for which Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Manoj Jha is contesting.

The post fell vacant after the term of Harivansh Singh, a Janata Dal (United) member, ended in April. Singh has been again nominated the NDA candidate for the upcoming election while, according to reports, 12 opposition parties have decided to support the candidature of Jha.

What is the election process of the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha?

1. Election date: The election is held on a date fixed by the Rajya Sabha chairman, currently Venkaiah Naidu, and the Secretary-General sends a notice of the date to every member of the house.

2. Nomination: Any member of Rajya Sabha can nominate another member’s name, a day before the scheduled voting. The proposal is submitted to the Secretary-General of the house, and the notice needs the support of a third member of the upper house. The proposal also needs a statement of the nominated member that he/she is “willing to serve as Deputy Chairman if elected.” A member “shall not propose or second more than one motion.”

3. Election process: The motions are passed in Rajya Sabha of the nominated members one by one, in the order in which they have been moved.

“If any motion is carried, the person presiding shall, without putting later motions, declare that the member proposed in the motion which has been carried, has been chosen as the Deputy Chairman” of the Rajya Sabha.