RS Deputy chairman election to test strength of united Opposition

The political churning for election of new Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman in place of PJ Kurien, who is retiring on July 1, is expected to pick up momentum in the coming days with the announcement on Monday of the schedule for Parliament's Monsoon Session.

The election of new Deputy Chairman will be on the top of agenda of the upper house of parliament when it meets for the monsoon session on July 18.

The election will be a test of the strength of opposition which has been signalling a combined fight against BJP-led NDA in the next Lok Sabha polls.

An opposition leader said that looking at the numbers in Rajya Sabha, there was a probability of a candidate who does not belong to either the BJP or Congresss getting elected to the post.

Opposition numbers have also gone up with TDP leaving the ruling BJP-led NDA in March this year and the BJP parting ways with the People's Democratic Party earlier this month.

A contest is likely for the post with neither the NDA, not the Congress-led UPA having a clear majority support, and much depending on stance of parties such as Biju Janata Dal, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, AIADMK and YSRCP.

There is speculation that a combined opposition could support a BJD candidate for the post but party sources said the subject had not been broached with the party so far formally or informally. They said the issue had also not been deliberated within the party.

BJD has been keeping an equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress.