Sharad Yadav’s Rajya Sabha issues to come up at Venkaiah Naidu lunch

New Delhi: Opposition leaders have decided to raise the issue of rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav’s membership of the Rajya Sabha with vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu at a lunch being thrown by the latter on Tuesday.

Mr Naidu has organised the lunch for the entire council of ministers as well as floor leaders of various parties in Parliament, possibly in the run-up to the Winter Session of Parliament.

Many Opposition leaders who met on Monday to decide on a joint strategy to counter the BJP ahead of the anniversary of the demonetisation initiative of the government decided to raise the matter with Mr Naidu at Tuesday’s lunch.

Mr Yadav, who has rebelled against Bihar CM and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar’s decision of ditching the Congress-RJD and going with the BJP, claims that he is the leader of the real JD(U). He has also approached the EC staking claim to the party symbol.

Mr Kumar has, on the other hand, sought Mr Yadav’s disqualification from the Rajya Sabha on disciplinary grounds. However, instead of referring the matter to the certain House committees, Mr Naidu has summoned Mr Yadav for his version on October 30, triggering speculation that he might take a decision on his own on the senior leader’s disqualification.