NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan has reconstituted the Upper House's Committee on Petitions, appointing MP Raghav Chadha as the panel's chairperson. The reconstitution took effect from May 20, according to a Rajya Sabha notification.
Radhakrishnan, who also serves as the Vice President of India, nominated 10 members of the Upper House to the committee. Apart from Chadha, the panel includes Harsh Mahajan, Gulam Ali, Shambhu Sharan Patel, Mayankkumar Nayak, Masthan Rao Yadav Beedha, Jebi Mather Hisham, Subhasish Khuntia, Rwngwra Narzary, and Sandosh Kumar P.
Political Context Behind the Appointment
This development follows the defection of Chadha and six other Rajya Sabha MPs from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The others who crossed over were Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Swati Maliwal, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Rajinder Gupta, and former cricketer Harbhajan Singh. These defections have significantly reduced the AAP's strength in the Rajya Sabha to just three members.
Impact on Rajya Sabha Numbers
In contrast, the BJP's tally in the Upper House previously stood at 106 members, while the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had 141 MPs. Following the latest additions, these numbers have risen to 113 and 148, respectively. With more than 30 Rajya Sabha seats set to fall vacant by the end of the year, the BJP is hopeful of securing at least five more seats, bringing it closer to the two-thirds majority mark of 163.
The Committee on Petitions is a parliamentary panel that examines petitions from citizens and makes recommendations to the government. Chadha's appointment as chairperson is seen as a strategic move by the BJP to consolidate its influence in the Upper House.
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