The Janata Dal United has issued a whip to all its Rajya Sabha members, including Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson Harivansh, asking them to ensure their presence in the House till August 11 and vote against the contentious Delhi ordinance bill.

The whip, party leaders said, has been issued as voting is expected on the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which seeks to replace an ordinance negating a Supreme Court order giving power of transfer and posting to the Delhi government. The ordinance has restored the supremacy of the Centre in the matter.

The bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament next week.

With the JDU coming out strongly with the rest of Opposition against the bill, political watchers are curious about the stand Harivansh will take as his relations with the party leadership have been a matter of speculation, more so after its national president Lalan Singh assailed him recently over his perceived proximity to the government.

The Bihar party has five MPs in the House where the opposition bloc of INDIA is working overtime to arrange numbers on its side. Its chief whip Anil Hegde issued the whip on Thursday. The whip has asked party members to support its stand in the House and vote against the bill, Hegde said.

Voting against the whip can invite disqualification from the House, according to the rules.

Harivansh, a former journalist, was elected as Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson in 2018 when the JDU was a BJP ally. He was reelected following his renomination to the House in 2020 as the alliance continued till August last year.

His party never protested his decision to continue in the chair after the alliance broke, but Harivansh’s glowing praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inauguration of the new Parliament building in May drew backlash from several party leaders, including its national president.