New Delhi, August 6: Janata Dal (United) leader Harivansh Narayan Singh is likely to be the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) candidate for the post of the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Earlier today, Rajya Sabha chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu announced that elections to the post of the Deputy Chairman would take place on August 9.

Meanwhile, Congress senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that ideally, the Deputy Chairman should be from the opposition parties.

Speaking on the issue, Azad said, "We (the Opposition) would prefer to have a Deputy Chairman who is not from the ruling party or their allies. It will be in the fitness of things to have a Deputy Chairman from the Opposition."

"The Congress party so far has not decided any candidate; the Opposition as such has not decided any candidate. But, we are very clear about it that it should be a consensus candidate," Azad said.\ The post has been lying vacant since Congress leader PJ Kurien retired on July 1.