New Delhi: Chartered Accountant-turned-educationist K Rahman Khan of Congress was today (Jul 22, 2004) unanimously elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha after Shiv Sena's Eknath Thakur withdrew his symbolic candidature.

55-year old Khan's name was proposed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad along with 12 other sets of proposals, including one from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, after Leader of Opposition Jaswant Singh and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam announced Thakur's withdrawal. Nirupam said to register protest for his party not being consulted by the Government, Shiv Sena pitted Thakur for a symbolic contest but withdrew.

After Azad and Jaswant Singh met Thakur this morning and persuaded him to withdraw so as to pave the path for unanimous election of Khan keeping in line with the tradition of the House, the Shiv Sena member obliged.

Khan, who was Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers in the Manmohan Singh Government, replaces Najma Heptulla, who was Deputy Chairperson for two terms. Heptulla had quit Congress to join BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) recently and was critical of Congress president Sonia Gandhi during the Lok Sabha elections.

Soon after the election, Khan was escorted by Manmohan Singh, who is also Leader of the House, and the Leader of Opposition to his Chair.