Pramod Tiwari is deputy leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha, Rajani Patil made whip

The Congress on Saturday approved the appointment of Pramod Tiwari as deputy leader of the party in Rajya Sabha and Rajani Patil as the party's whip in the Upper House.

Sources said the appointments were made by the Congress president to fill the vacancies following the retirement of Anand Sharma and the demise of Rajeev Satav.

They added that a letter regarding these appointments has been sent to the Rajya Sabha Chairman.

While Tiwari is a three-time Rajya Sabha MP and has been a former cabinet minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, Patil is a two-time MP in Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.

Patil is currently suspended from the upper House for the entire budget session of Parliament for "unruly behaviour".