The Opposition had the numbers to win one Rajya Sabha seat from Bihar. As it turned out, four MLAs skipped the voting, helping the NDA to sweep the polls.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faces a significant setback as several of its Rajya Sabha MPs, including key figures like Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak, resign from the party, with some reportedly joining the BJP.
The Election Commission has announced the schedule for the Rajya Sabha elections 2024, setting the stage for polls to fill 37 seats across 10 states on March 16.
Will Nitish Kumar file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha on Thursday morning?
Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana were marred by allegations of cross-voting and 'horse trading', leading to suspensions and warnings from the Congress party.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha to honour 59 retiring members, emphasising their contributions to national life and urging them to continue their service.
Former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, Kerala BJP leader C Sadanandan Master and Delhi-based historian Meenakshi Jain have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
Most defections originated from three major parties -- the Congress, BJP and BSP.
In a dramatic development on Friday, April 24, 2026, Aam Aadmi Party MPs Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal resigned from the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The report was tabled by Bharatiya Janata Party member Medha Vishram Kulkarni, a member of the panel.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is expected to achieve a clear majority in Rajya Sabha after bye-elections for 12 seats scheduled next month, which would help the party get the nod for key legislations such as the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
Social activist Anna Hazare has criticised Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha for allegedly leaving the Aam Aadmi Party and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, stating that such political switching for personal interests goes against constitutional values.
Despite recent gains, the BJP-led NDA is unlikely to achieve a two-thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha in the near future, highlighting the challenges in passing key legislation requiring constitutional amendments.
Actor Kamal Haasan launched Makkal Needhi Miam at a public meeting in Madurai in 2018.
One Rajya Sabha seat is a small price to pay for all the skills that Kamal Haasan brings to the table, points out Aditi Phadnis.
The Aam Aadmi Party has petitioned for the disqualification of seven Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP, citing violation of the anti-defection law and betrayal of the people's mandate.
The Punjab Police has reportedly withdrawn the security cover for Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh after he switched from AAP to BJP. This follows protests by AAP workers outside the residences of Singh and other defectors.
Nadda replaces Union minister Piyush Goyal, who recently won the Lok Sabha election and took oath on Monday as a member of the Lower House of Parliament.
The Punjab police registered two FIRs under sections for non-bailable offences against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak. Both FIRs were filed in different districts of Punjab.
Akhilesh Yadav said those who are looking for "profit" in the situation will leave.
'We are pleased to announce the candidature of @sagarikaghose, @SushmitaDevAITC, @MdNadimulHaque6 and Mamata Bala Thakur for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections,' the party said in a tweet.
10 vacancies in the Upper House after Rajya Sabha members were elected to the Lok Sabha.
Will DMK send former PM to the Rajya Sabha next month?
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday hailed the party's performance in the Gujarat and Punjab bypolls, calling them a 'semi-final to 2027' and a clear sign that voters would reject both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's tally in Rajya Sabha has dipped below 90 for the first time in several years but the party and its allies are expected to not only recoup the their losses but also make some gains when by-elections to fill the existing vacancies are held in the coming weeks.
The Congress' victory in the Karnataka assembly polls is likely to help the party get its candidates elected in three of the four Rajya Sabha seats from the state falling vacant next year.
The only occasion when the BJP had 100 seats in the Upper House was in 2022.
Political parties termed the scuffle in Rajya Sabha following the tabling of the Liberhan Commission report on the Babri Masjid demolition on Tuesday as "unacceptable" and "very painful".
Nishad had campaigned for the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the assembly elections in Bihar in 2005 despite being a member of the BJP, which had prompted party member Sushma Swaraj to file a disqualification petition against him in December that year. Ansari disagreed with Nishad's contention that he had tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the party on 18 October, 2005 'in an agitated mental condition', which he later withdrew by a letter dated 17 Nov '05.
Rathwa was a Minister of State for Railways in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2004, and lost to BJP candidate Ramsinh Rathwa in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
Raghav Chadha explains his decision to leave the AAP, citing a 'toxic' work environment where leaders were allegedly prevented from working and speaking freely.
Balbir Punj, a former Rajya Sabha MP, journalist, and BJP leader, has died at the age of 76. Tributes have poured in from prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, recognising his contributions to the party and the world of media.
The former journalist unsuccessfully contested the recent West Bengal assembly elections on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned briefly on Wednesday after members disrupted proceedings over a reply by Home Minister Shivraj Patil on terrorism emanating from Bangladesh.
'The entire party is centred around one man and that is Arvind Kejriwal.' 'Till the time you are in Kejriwal's good books you are powerful. The day you are not with him, you are no one in the party.'
The BJP has announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections across multiple states, including Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, and Haryana.
The AAP government in Punjab successfully moved a Confidence Motion in the state assembly, following the defection of seven Rajya Sabha MPs to the BJP. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asserted the party's strength and national presence during the special session.
Bharatiya Janata Party's Rajya Sabha member Su Thirunavukkarasar has decided to resign from the party and the upper House of the Parliament as he is all set to rejoin the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.Su Thirunavukkarasar said that he would take a final decision on the matter after he talked to senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Rajnath Singh. The 60-year old leader unsuccessfully contested from Ramanathapuram in the Parliamentary polls
Nishant Kumar, son of former Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, is poised to enter Bihar politics by joining the Samrat Choudhary government, marking a significant development in the state's political landscape.
Union ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu and George Kurian were elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha Tuesday along with senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi and former minister Upendra Kushwaha.
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