BJP chief JP Nadda replaces Piyush Goyal as Leader of House in Rajya Sabha

BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda has been named the Leader of House in Rajya Sabha, replacing Union minister Piyush Goyal who has entered the 18th Lok Sabha from North Mumbai seat.

JP Nadda was among the 41 candidates who were elected unopposed to the upper house in February earlier this year. Apart from Nadda, BJP nominated only three members – Ashwini Vaishnaw, L Murugan and party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi – for a second term in the latest round of Rajya Sabha elections.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

The BJP chief has been allocated the ministry of health and family welfare in the new NDA government. Besides Nadda, there are 11 members of the Upper House who are in the Union Council of Ministers.

Congratulating Nadda, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh urged him to accommodate the views of the opposition in the House.

“Greetings to J P Nadda ji on his being nominated as the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha. As Venkaiah Naidu garu might have said — if the Leader of the House can accommodate, the Opposition can cooperate,” he posted on ‘X’.