The new Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh has been a prominent journalist apart from being a politician. An inhabitant of a village called Sitab Diara in Saran district of Bihar, Harivansh Singh becomes the first non Congress deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha in 41 years. Earlier Godey Murahari from Samyukta Socialist Party was the first from any non-Congress Party to take the position of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha from April 1974 to March 1977. He is a graduate from Banaras Hindu University, obtained a Post Graduation degree in Economics and holds a Diploma in Journalism.
All you need to know about new Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Singh
Coming from a farmer family that dwelled in rural India, he is believed to be a very down-to-earth person full of humility. His family agricultural land became extinct following the erosion due to the change in the Ganga River’s path. Starting his career with Hindi weekly Dharmyug, he practiced Journalism till 2014 until he became a Rajya Sabha member.
Also Read: NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh elected new Rajya Sabha deputy chairman
Left his job in Bank of India to come back to Journalism
Though in between he shifted from Journalism for a while to become a banker, only to return back soon into the media industry. He joined Bank of India as an officer but later made a switched to a magazine called Ravivar. During 1989 he joined Prabhat Khabar (Ranchi) as an editor-in-chief and remained there till 2014 when he got into politics. His Maiden exposure to politics was when he joined the then Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar as his political adviser.
Why Nitish Kumar backed Harivansh Singh for Rajya Sabha deputy chairman post
Prabhat Khabar gave him quite recognition on National level, though he was mostly blamed for extraordinarily glorifying chief minister Nitish Kumar. According to Harivansh, he believed in campaign journalism against the melancholy of the system. Praising good works of government and giving coverage to developments is also a way to establish balance in positive and negative reports.
It is also believed that he had a role in restoring JD(U) and BJP coalition in Bihar. He is given credit to bring back Nitish Kumar with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Harivansh Singh shares a very cordial relation with CM Nitish Kumar till date. The same could be the reason behind the chief minister’s backing Singh for the position of deputy chairman in Rajya Sabha.
