Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman election LIVE UPDATES: Arun Jaitley's return to bolster NDA

Update at 12:02 PM: Arun Jaitely returns to bolster NDA, addresses the house

Update at 11:49 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates newly elected Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Harivansh Narayan Singh

"Today we mark the anniversary of the Quit India Movement. Harivansh Ji hails from Ballia, a land linked with freedom fighters. He has been inspired by Loknayak JP. He also spent time in Varanasi. Here is a leader who worked with a statesman like Chandra Shekhar Ji. Harivansh Ji is well read and has written a lot. He has served society for years."

Update at 11:40 AM: NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman with the total of 125 votes

Update at 11:35 AM: Total vote count:

NDA: 125 votes

Opposition: 105 votes

Abstain: 2 votes (Vijaysai Reddy and Prabhakar Reddy from YSR)

Update at 11:35 AM: Division of votes underway

Update at 11:35 AM: 122 votes for NDA's Harivansh Narayan Singh

Update at 11:30 AM: Voting for the post of Deputy Chairman begins in Rajya Sabha

Update at 11:06 AM: Tabling of election motion notices underway

Update at 11:00 AM: Proceedings begin at Rajya Sabha

Update at 10:59 AM: Arun Jaitely arrives in Parliament two months after undergoing Kidney Transplant

Update at 10:46 AM: DMK to vote for ally Congress' candidate

Update at 10:30 AM: Congress issues whip to all its MPs, asks them to be present in Parliament 

Update at 10:30 AM: YSRCP to abstain from voting

Update at 10:00 AM: Amit shah arrives in Parliament for NDA meeting

Update at 9:43 AM: Here are the notices of motion for Deputy Chairman election:

Update at 9:43 AM: We are very confident that we have the required numbers, opposition is united: BK Hariprasad,Congress Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman candidate

Update at 9:43 AM: House strength stands at 237 members and the total number required to win the majority is 119 votes  

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Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday announced that the election for the post Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha will be held at 11 am on August 9. After the retirement of former Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha PJ Kurien of the Congress Party, the post of deputy chairperson had been lying vacant since June 2018. 

Arun Jaitley's return to bolster NDA:

Arun Jaitley, who stepped aside as Finance Minister in May to undergo a kidney transplant, is likely to attend the House and participate in the voting. He underwent a renal transplant operation on May 14 after which the charge of his ministry was handed over to Minister for Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal on an interim basis. This will be Arun Jaitley's first appearance in the parliament during the ongoing monsoon session.

Meanwhile, the NDA is keen to have a candidate of its choice in the deputy chairperson post, the Opposition parties, led by the Congress are looking forward to retain the post. The current strength of Rajya Sabha is 244 and support of 123 members will be needed for a win in the full house. 

Nominated candidates: 

NDA Candidate- Harivansh Narayan Singh

The NDA is all set to field JD(U)’s Harivansh Narayan Singh for the post. Singh is a former journalist and former editor-in-chief of Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar. Singh was one of the three JD(U) MPs elected unopposed from Bihar in 2014.

Opposition Candidate- BK Hariprasad

Congress nominated BK Hariprasad as its Rajya Sabha deputy chairman candidate. He is a three-time parliamentarian. Hariprasad is a Congress leader who represents Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha. He is also a general secretary of the All India Congress Committee.

What have the regional parties and NDA allies hinted?

Parties likely to favour NDA:

• BJP
• Shiv Sena 
• RPI
• SAD
• JDU
• BJD 
• AIADMK
• TRS

Top sources have told Republic TV that the NDA candidate is likely to get minimum of 129 votes, however, the opposition is looking at 122 votes.   

Parties likely to favour Opposition:

• Congress
• TMC
• LEFT
• BSP 
• SP 
• NCP
• DMK
• TDP
• INLD
• RJD

AAP has confirmed to abstain from voting despite Nitish Kumar's call to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Joining the line is PDP who will also abstain from voting.