NEW DELHI, July 14: The union minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal has been appointed the leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha to fill up the vacancy created by the elevation of Thavarchand Gehlot as the governor of Karnataka. Announcing the appointment, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi tweeted: “Congratulations to @PiyushGoyal ji on being appointed the Leader of House in Rajya Sabha. He has been entrusted by PM @NarendraModi ji with key responsibility. Wishing him continued vigour in the service to the nation.”
Goyal, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra, is also in charge of several key ministries, including commerce and industry, consumer affairs, food and public distribution, and textiles. He has been Deputy Leader of the Rajya Sabha when Gehlot was the Leader of the House.
According to the Rajya Sabha Practice and Procedure, “the Leader of the House is an important parliamentary functionary who exercises direct influence on the course of parliamentary business”. The post assumes significance as the BJP does not enjoy a clear majority in the Rajya Sabha and the Leader of the House would have to bring about an effective coordination among the floor leaders during the discussions and passage of crucial bills.
With his elevation, Goyal is expected to play a key role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the House, better coordination with all parties, especially those in the Opposition. He will have his task cut out for the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning on July 19 with the Opposition expected to attack the government over the issues of price rise and alleged mishandling of the Covid crisis.
Goyal’s rise in the BJP since 2014 shows the increasing trust the party’s top leadership has in him.
(Manas Dasgupta)