Former Indian Administrative Service officer A K Sharma was on Friday named a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for the Uttar Pradesh legislative council polls a day after he joined the party, fuelling speculation that he will get a ministerial post.
Ahmed Patel's third tenure in the Upper House ends in August this year. He has opted out of the election despite the Congress having enough votes from Gujarat to ensure his re-election to the Upper House. Naturally, his decision to not enter Parliament again has surprised many, and speculation is rife over the decision
This year promises to offer ample opportunities on the electoral turf to the SP, BSP and Congress to get their act together and play the "semi-final" of sorts before the "final match" two years later, reports Virendra Singh Rawat
The Modi government wants to have a smooth relationship with the DMK government.
Parliament proceedings were adjourned for the day following disruptions by Opposition parties which raised slogans on the Pegasus snooping row and the farmers' issue by gathering in the Well of the House.
"I have sent my resignation letter (to BJP)," Mitra, who is a senior journalist, said.
Sanjay Singh, Sushil Gupta and Narain Dass Gupta were selected as AAP's Rajya Sabha nominees.
Two other ministers Swantradev Singh and Mohsin Raza also took oath.
Banerjee tweeted that as a part of her "constant endeavour" towards women's empowerment, she was proud that half of the nominees were women.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, charged the government with not delivering on its various promises, including generating two crore jobs per year.
Failure to get elected by May 28, ie within six months of taking oath as CM, would have resulted into a Constitutional crisis for the Thackeray-led government, which was averted after the Election Commission announced elections to the nine seats in the Council.
The meeting also includes some of Sonia Gandhi's close associates and is the first effort by the Congress leadership for a reproachment with those who raised questions over the leadership.
Addressing a business conference, Jaitley said it was important to stay on the path of reform and build momentum to achieve higher economic growth.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the party stood united and together as a family and there are no dissensions pending after the announcement of elections to the party chief's post.
Issues including the Rafale deal, construction of Ram Temple and Cauvery river water caused disruptions in the House.
Sachin has an attendance of 5.5 per cent to date, whereas Rekha has a meagre attendance rate of 5.1 per cent.
The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha began on June 17 and is scheduled to conclude on July 26.
Catch all the live action from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha here.
The AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal will once again dominate the proceedings in Parliament on Thursday.
Those who quit included deputy chief minister Y JoyKumar Singh.
Addressing a press conference, Pawar, a Rajya Sabha member, also bemoaned the conduct of Deputy Chairman Harivansh and the Modi government's decision of "bulldozing" the Opposition in the House.
With only two working days left in the winter session of parliament, the fate of the government's economic reform agenda, particularly the Insurance Bill and the Coal Bill, hangs in balance in view of strong opposition by some parties.
Embarrassment apart, it is a reminder to the Narendra Modi government that it is in acute minority in the Upper House
"Horse trading band karo (Stop horse trading of MLAs)," Congress members shouted from the well.
The vehicle scrapping policy will offer about 5 per cent rebate to those buying new cars if they junk their old vehicles, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday terming it a "win-win" situation. The voluntary vehicle scrapping policy announced in the Union Budget for 2021-22 provides for fitness test after 20 years for personal vehicles while commercial vehicles would require it after the completion of 15 years. "The 'Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernisation Programme' or 'Vehicle Scrapping Policy' will offer a rebate of about 5 per cent to buyers on new car purchases in lieu of scrapping of the old.
The government is keen to get the GST Bill approved during the Monsoon Session of Parliament ending on August 12.
"I rise in deep anguish to place on record the way this august House is being subjected to sacrilege and that too propelled by a sense of competition among some sections of the House since the commencement of this monsoon session," the Rajya Sabha chairman said.
Ahmed Patel, K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh will be part of the Rajya Sabha Committee, which will also include Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and party's deputy leader Anand Sharma. Azad and Sharma are signatories to the letter that demanded an overhaul of the Congress party and a new 'full-time and visible' party president.
Congress leaders in the upper house called CAB unconstitutional, 'arbitrary executive fiat' to push Hindutva agenda.
Lack of numbers would upstage it in Rajya Sabha
This after most of the Opposition including the Congress, Left parties, the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Nationalist Congress Party decided to boycott House proceedings in protest against the suspension of eight MPs for the remainder of the session for unruly behaviour.
Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party has emerged as the third largest party in the Rajya Sabha, relegating the CPI(M) to fourth position in yet another bad news for Marxists ahead of the Assembly polls in West Bengal and Kerala.
The chief minister, who was re-elected as the JD-U president in 2019 for three years, relinquished the post in favour of Singh, its leader in Rajya Sabha.
Sources said the entire opposition, including the Congress, supported TDP MP CM Ramesh's candidature.
He is among the contenders for the top job in the event the BJP gets fewer seats in 2019. That may have something to do with him picking up the cudgels for Sushma Swaraj when many in the party kept mum, says Aditi Phadnis.
The two marshals, who flank the Chair, came to the House wearing dark coloured Indian bandhgalas, a dress that a Congress member remarked was "very smart."
Influential Patel community leader Parshottam Rupala, minister in the first Narendra Modi government Mansukh Mandaviya and three-time MP Darshana Jardosh, all from Gujarat, were among those inducted in the Union cabinet on Wednesday.
Several MPs came to the Upper House wearing masks and demanded curtailment of the ongoing Budget session, which is due to end on April 3, in view of the novel coronavirus scare, but the government seemed unwilling.
The proceedings of the House were almost washed out as it could not take up any legislative business.
Several parties had requested that the session, which was originally scheduled to continue till April 8, be curtailed due to the five assembly elections being held in eight phases till April 29.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances