On April 17, the Rajya Sabha will hold elections for the Deputy Chairman position, which has been vacant since Harivansh Narayan Singh's term ended on April 9. The INDIA bloc, comprising various opposition parties, has decided to boycott the election, citing a lack of meaningful consultations from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Congress leader Jairam Ramesh expressed concerns over the nomination process, highlighting that this is the first instance where a person nominated by the President of India is being considered for the Deputy Chairman role. Ramesh pointed out that the Modi government has not appointed a Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha for seven years, an unprecedented situation. He humorously referred to the candidate as 'Harivansh 3.0', hoping for a more accommodating approach in the future. The election proceedings are set to begin at 11:00 am following the laying of papers and reports in the House.