NEW DELHI, June 12 (Xinhua) -- India's main ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot as the leader of the parliament's Upper House "Rajya Sabha", party sources said Wednesday.
Another senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal, who is the Minister of Commerce and Railways, has been appointed as the deputy leader of Rajya Sabha.
The Upper House leader is a key position in India's parliamentary set up. The person holding the position occupies the first seat in the House.
The seat number 2 will be occupied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi whenever present in the House. Modi will, however, occupy the first seat in the Lower House "Lok Sabha", being the leader of that House.
Gehlot is a Rajya Sabha member from the central state of Madhya Pradesh.
In Indian parliamentary set up, the main responsibility of the Rajya Sabha leader is organising normal parliamentary and government business inside the House when in session.
The person holding the post makes proposals for the dates of summoning and prorogation of the House. He has to draw up the programme of official business to be transacted in the Session of Parliament, namely, bills, motions, discussions on general or specific subjects like five-year plans, foreign policy, economic or industrial policy and other important state activities.
