JD(U) issues whip to RS deputy chairman, other lawmakers to oppose Delhi bill

The Janata Dal (United) on Thursday issued a whip to the party’s all five Rajya Sabha MPs, including deputy chairman of the House, Harivansh, to vote against a bill that seeks to replace the Delhi ordinance that hands control of the national capital’s bureaucratic machinery to the Centre.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 is expected to be discussed in the Upper House next week.

Aneel Prasad Hegde, chief whip of JD(U) in Rajya Sabha, said all MPs were issued a whip.

Asked why the whip was issued to Harivansh, Hegde said it was issued to all party MPs.

“We have issued a whip to all our MPs. I will need to check if this was sent earlier as well to the deputy chairman. All MPs have been issued a whip. This time I am the Chief Whip of the party and the whip has been issued to all five Rajya Sabha MPs of the party,” Hegde said.

The three-line whip will be applicable from July 27 to August 11, when the Monsoon session of Parliament will conclude.

According to a senior official of the Bihar assembly secretariat, the deputy chairman will be like all other members when not presiding over the House and so the party whip will apply to him as well. “However, if he is presiding over the House during the voting, he can cast his vote only in case of a tie,” the official said.

The JD(U) is part of a 26-party opposition alliance which has been named INDIA.