The Congress is likely to get 11 Rajya Sabha seats in the upcoming election cycle with some of its top leaders, including P Chidambaram and Jairam Ramesh, eyeing another term.
Over Rs 2 crore was on Friday seized allegedly from a car owned by the younger brother of an independent Rajya Sabha candidate. "The cash was seized near Rampur haat under Namkum police station between 6.30 am and 7 am from the car," said Income Tax department's Jharkhand Director Ajay Kumar. "The car belongs to Suresh Agarwal, the younger brother of (independent RS candidate) R K Agarwal, while the cash came from his relative Praskash Khemani's place at Jamshedpur," he added
Ambani's resignation follows a recent spate of resignations from the Upper House over the office of profit issue.
Vijay Mallya, facing a case of loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore, on Monday resigned from Rajya Sabha.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's purchase of 'jhalmuri' during a campaign stop, alleging it was a staged event for cameras. She also accused the BJP of aiding Independents from the minority community and criticised the Election Commission over voter roll revisions.
Kharge condemned the use of the "abodh balak" term for Gandhi and alleged that BJP MPs can't even speak their mind.
Eminent journalist HK Dua, who led editorial operations at three of India's leading newspapers, has died at the age of 88. He was also a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha and served as media advisor to two prime ministers.
Liquor baron Vijay Mallya's tenure in the Rajya Sabha came to an end on Wednesday with Chairman Hamid Ansari accepting his fresh resignation letter.
Haryana Congress MLAs will visit 'mandis' to assess and support farmers facing difficulties in wheat and mustard procurement, following a decision made at a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Delhi.
The Congress party has issued a show-cause notice to a fifth MLA from Haryana, Jarnail Singh, for alleged cross-voting during the recent Rajya Sabha elections, further exposing internal rifts within the state unit.
Congress candidates Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari were elected to the Rajya Sabha, according to a tweet by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Congress MP Vivek Tankha has requested a CBI investigation into the death of Twisha Sharma, who died at her marital home in Bhopal. The family alleges lapses in the local police investigation.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's son, Nishant Kumar, is set to enter politics, with a formal announcement expected from the JD(U). Party leaders express enthusiasm and anticipate a significant role for Nishant within the party.
Mr Pradhan is not an especially charismatic leader or a brilliant orator, but his understanding of realpolitik and organisational dynamics makes him the ultimate party man, points out Aditi Phadnis.
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee's Kolkata residence was raided by police and central forces for over four hours in connection with a financial fraud case, targeting his close aide Sumit Roy, whose mobile phone was last traced to the property.
West Bengal police, supported by central forces, conducted a four-hour predawn raid on TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's Kolkata residence in connection with a financial fraud case involving his aide, Sumit Roy. The operation, which Banerjee claims involved forced entry, has been denounced by the TMC as "political vendetta" and comes as Banerjee faces multiple investigations from various agencies, further escalating political tensions in the state.
A lot is riding on the Rajya sabha polls that are scheduled for Saturday. Major parties are whisking away candidates of other parties, while protecting their own, MLAs are being sent to 'camps' in the final countdown to the polls for 57 seats. Here is a state-by-state look:
'Delimitation is scheduled for 2028. No matter how much the BJP currently depends on the Shinde Sena or NCP factions, it may not need them after delimitation.'
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda criticises the state government over alleged LPG cylinder shortages and black marketing, urging immediate action to alleviate public hardship. He also addresses concerns regarding farmers' MSP and the SYL canal issue.
The deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended on Friday afternoon.
The BJP is still short of the halfway mark of 123 in the 245-member House, but can now muster a 'working' majority with help of allies, friendly parties, some Independents and nominated members.
All eleven Rajya Sabha candidates in the fray in Uttar Pradesh, including businessman Anil Ambani, actress Jaya Bachchan and hotelier Lalit Suri, were declared elected unopposed in the biennial elections on Saturday.
Opposition MPs have submitted notices in both Houses of Parliament seeking a motion for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging partisan conduct and obstruction of electoral fraud investigations.
The TMC has dispatched fact-finding teams to investigate alleged post-poll violence against its workers in West Bengal, accusing BJP-backed individuals of carrying out attacks and intimidation.
Speaking to the reporters on Wednesday, Minister J P Dalal said that they have called all the MLAs to make the new MLAs understand on the polling procedure.
He will be the first former Chief Justice of India to be nominated to Rajya Sabha. Former Chief Justice Ranganath Misra was also a Rajya Sabha member but he was elected on a Congress party ticket.
Congress veteran Kapil Sibal had on Wednesday filed his nomination as an SP-backed Independent candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls.
Confident of securing a massive majority in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday outlined his vision for his next five-year term saying the Modi 3.0 government will put all its might to strengthen the foundation of 'Viksit Bharat' or a developed nation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha, stating that the world is moving towards a new global order and that India has become a prominent voice for the Global South. He highlighted India's growing influence and trade deals.
Condemning opposition MPs for attacking Harivansh, Joshi said the Congress and other opposition parties are frustrated with the rise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and have lost their balance.
'The chair is a referee in a match, whether this side is playing better or that side is playing worse is no concern of the chair.'
The Indian government addressed opposition concerns regarding the West Asia crisis in an all-party meeting, outlining its strategy for ensuring the security of the Indian diaspora, fulfilling energy needs, and maintaining diplomatic relations with key partners. The government also dismissed Pakistan's reported mediation efforts.
Opposition MPs in India have moved notices in Parliament seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of bias, misconduct, and acting under the influence of the executive.
Seven members of the Rajya Sabha belonging to the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Lok Janshakti Party and an independent Member of Parliament were suspended on Tuesday for the remaining part of the budget session for their unruly behaviour in the House on Monday over the Women's Reservation Bill.The suspended members are Subhash Yadav (RJD), Sabir Ali (LJP), Veerpal Singh Yadav, Nand Kishore Yadav, Amir Alam Khan and Kamal Akhtar (SP) and Ejaz Ali.
Several opposition parties on Wednesday decided to jointly oppose the delimitation provisions in the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, even as they reiterated support for women's reservation, with Mallikarjun Kharge alleging the move is politically motivated.
Communist Party of India national secretary D Raja was also among the 6 to elected to the Rajya Sabha from TN.
Opposition parties in India have submitted notices seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing concerns over his appointment, conduct, and alleged manipulation of electoral processes.
Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora has challenged his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), claiming it is illegal and unconstitutional. The Punjab and Haryana High Court heard arguments and adjourned the matter to May 14. Arora was arrested in connection with an alleged Rs 100-crore GST fraud-linked money laundering case.
Elections for 19 Rajya Sabha seats spread across eight states will be held on Friday with the contest in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan promising to be a close affair between the BJP and the Congress.
Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha criticised the Modi government's economic policies, citing the LPG crisis, lack of energy security, and concerns over the Economic Stabilisation Fund.
