Harivansh Narayan Singh, a journalist-turned-parliamentarian, now finds himself in the vice-presidential spotlight.
Currently serving as Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha — a post he has held since 2018 and to which he was re-elected unopposed in 2020 — Singh is a member of the Janata Dal (United) and has represented Bihar in the Upper House since 2014.
Born on 30 June 1956 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, and raised in Ranchi, he studied economics at Banaras Hindu University before earning a postgraduate diploma in journalism.
He went on to become editor of Prabhat Khabar, a then-moribund Hindi daily that he transformed into a crusading newsroom known for fearless reporting, notably its early exposure of the multicrore Fodder Scam.
Singh began his career with The Times of India and later served as media adviser to former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar. Inspired by Jayaprakash Narayan’s “Total Revolution” in 1974, he aligned himself with socialist causes, eventually entering politics in 2014 when the JD(U) nominated him to the Rajya Sabha.
Four years later he made history by becoming only the third non-Congress Deputy Chairman, winning the vote 125–105. His re-election in 2020 was uncontested.
Known for his calm, measured style in the chamber — more schoolteacher than partisan umpire — Singh has earned respect across the aisle.
He drew wide attention in July 2023 for switching off microphones to restore order during a heated debate, later defending the act by saying that “decorum is non-negotiable.”
In 2020, during the stormy farm-bill protests, the BJP’s Bihar unit framed the opposition’s targeting of the Chair as a slight to “Bihari pride”, a reflection of Singh’s symbolic standing in the state.
In June 2025, as leader of the Indian delegation to the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in Brasilia, he flagged India’s 36% reduction in emissions intensity since 2005 and called for a “democracy of carbon space.”
Following the sudden resignation of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on 21 July 2025, Singh became Acting Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
His elevation has prompted speculation that he could be named the NDA’s nominee for Vice-President. Observers note that two past Deputy Chairmen — Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat — went on to occupy that office.
Party insiders say Singh’s “clean image, socialist roots and Bihar appeal” make him a compelling candidate ahead of the September poll.
Over the years, Singh has combined editorial rigour with political moderation. As editor of Prabhat Khabar from 1989 to 1998, he increased circulation tenfold and helped break major corruption stories.
His books — Uncharted Parliament (2017) and JP to Modi: Parliament’s Changing Grammar (2022) — argue for data-driven, civil parliamentary discourse, a principle evident in his conduct as Chair. A regular columnist in Hindi, he remains a voice for legislative sobriety.
Should the NDA back him, Singh may become India’s 17th Vice-President, capping a journey that spans rural newsrooms, headline-making journalism, and a steady hand at the helm of the Upper House.
Either way, his career affirms an enduring truth of Indian democracy: journalism remains a credible path to high public office.
