The BJP-led NDA now has nearly 100 members in the 245-member House. If the support of friendly parties like the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (9), Biju Janata Dal (9), Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (6), and several allied nominated members and smaller parties is counted, then the Modi government is unlikely to face any serious numerical challenge there.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sumitra Mahajan will be the Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha with senior leaders from all parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, moving motions on Thursday proposing her name for the high office.
Since Independence, Lok Sabha Speakers have been chosen by consensus.
For several months, there has been speculation among political circles in Amaravati that Priti Adani was most likely to be given one of the four Rajya Sabha seats on behalf of the ruling YSRC.
On Tuesday, the government had agreed to refer it to the committee.
The 14th Lok Sabha will go down in history with the dubious distinction of having expelled as many as 11 members, the latest being Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Babubhai Katara last week. Two years back, ten members from the House as also one from the Rajya Sabha were expelled for misconduct in accepting money for raising questions in what has come to be known as the 'cash-for-query' scam exposed by a sting operation on a news channel.
Voicing disappointment over passage of a "useless" Lokpal Bill in Lok Sabha, Team Anna on Wednesday said it appeared the legislation is headed for a joint session of Parliament as the Rajya Sabha may pass a version different from the one already passed.
The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed two key bills to enable students of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research get their degrees and give eight new IITs their status through an Act of Parliament.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament for 2026 is scheduled from July 20 to August 13, with significant political developments expected following recent assembly poll results and internal party rebellions. The session will see the ruling NDA's strengthened position in the Rajya Sabha and potential redrafting of a key Constitution amendment bill.
A bill for setting up a regular mechanism to encourage persons to disclose information on corruption or wilful misuse of power by public servants, including ministers, was moved in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Rahul Gandhi has convened a high tea for INDIA bloc MPs to discuss a strategy for joint protests against alleged "vote theft" and to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. This meeting follows a "March for Democracy" by opposition leaders and activists to the Supreme Court, where they filed a petition challenging alleged poll irregularities.
The government seeking to give another push to the controversial measure despite not having the numbers in the Rajya Sabha.
President Droupadi Murmu has announced a major gubernatorial reshuffle, appointing new governors for Tamil Nadu, Keralam, Sikkim, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Odisha. Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar moves from Keralam to Tamil Nadu, while Om Prakash Mathur becomes the new Keralam Governor. Dushyant Gautam, Sudha Yadav, Dhal Singh Bisen, and Braj Mohan Ram are among the new appointees, bringing diverse political experience to their roles.
In the Upper House of Parliament, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not allow adjournment notices moved by opposition members on the issue of price rise, prompting members of the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Left parties, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Shiv Sena to create an uproar.
The newly-elected Lok Sabha that will be constituted after the elections will have a full budget session in June which will go on till August.
Using recent developments for reaching out to DMK and JD-U ensures needed thrust for the congress and its government. Aditi Phadnis reports
Stating that it was a "conscious" decision to quit electoral politics, Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar on Friday filed his nomination papers for the biennial Rajya Sabha polls scheduled to be held on February 7.
The party also nominated six others, including former Union minister Beni Prasad Verma, an influential Kushwaha leader who recently quit Congress and returned to the Samajwadi Party, and realtor Sanjay Seth for the biennial polls scheduled next month.
Bharatiya Janata Party nominee S Selvaganapathy was declared elected unopposed to the lone seat in Rajya Sabha from Puducherry, the first time the saffron party has got representation in the Upper House from the Union Territory, while Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's two nominees, Kanimozhi N V N Somu and K R N Rajeshkumar, were elected without contest from Tamil Nadu.
Even though MLAs are required to show their ballot to respective party whips before casting their vote, all parties have ensured their MLAs are housed in five star hotels closer to the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha where voting will take place on June 10.
The passage of the Union Budget and other key legislations such as triple talaq will be on top of the agenda for the government.
The Liberhan Commission report on the demolition of Babri Masjid on Wednesday generated heat in the Rajya Sabha with the Congress and the Samajwadi Party squarely blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party for the demolition of the historic structure, while the main opposition debunked the report.
The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday gave its green light to the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill 2023. This Bill introduces significant amendments to the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act. These modifications aim to enhance the transparency and accountability of these cooperatives' operations in a bid to improve governance.
When the House reassembled at noon after the first adjournment, members of Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal-United and Lok Janshakti Party rushed menacingly to the well shouting 'marshal bulao' (call the marshals), prompting Speaker Meira Kumar to immediately adjourn the House till 1400 hours.
Asked if the fear of possible defeat made him rethink of contesting from Madha, Pawar said, "I have successfully faced 14 elections. Do you think a 15th will deter me?"
Government floor managers are busy talking to Opposition members to resolve the stand-off over Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's remarks, in the Rajya Sabha.
The 17th Lok Sabha, which was dissolved on June 5, did not have a deputy speaker for its full term, and it was the second consecutive term of the lower house without an LoP.
The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha are usually adjourned because of commotion. But on Thursday the Upper House was forced to adjourn briefly for an interesting reason -- malfunctioning of the presiding officer's seat. The House was in the midst of a heated discussion over reports about alleged involvement of Hindu organisations in some recent bomb blasts when the problem in the seat was noticed.
Samajwadi Party MP Shiv Pal Singh Patel asserted that the Congress would not have secured any seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections without their alliance. He claimed SP chief Akhilesh Yadav persuaded Rahul Gandhi to contest Raebareli and highlighted the SP's significant contribution to the INDIA bloc's success in Uttar Pradesh.
This is the first time that oath-taking of members will take place in the House chamber during the inter-session period so as to maintain norms of physical distancing due to COVID-19, officials said.
The ruling NDA coalition in India faces a significant challenge in passing the women's reservation bill in Parliament due to insufficient numbers. The bill requires a two-thirds majority in both houses, and the NDA needs to secure additional support or abstentions from other parties to achieve this.
The government on Tuesday faced embarrassment in the Rajya Sabha when the opposition scuttled its move to withdraw three bills, including one on raising the FDI cap in insurance sector to 49 per cent, which are expected to be introduced in Lok Sabha for replacement of Ordinances.
With only one day left for the House to go into month-long recess, the Chair directed members to lay their written speeches so that the crucial money bill could be returned in time.
The bill aims to include all the Muslims sects in the Waqf board, Rijiju said.
India's Monsoon Session of Parliament concluded with significantly low productivity, marked by frequent disruptions and protests from the Opposition, primarily the Congress, leading to minimal debate on key legislation.
The BJP has announced its new national organisational team, with eight leaders from Uttar Pradesh receiving key appointments. These include two national vice-presidents, two general secretaries, two secretaries, and the chiefs of the OBC and Minority Morchas. The appointments reflect a strategic focus on youth, social diversity, and experienced campaigners, particularly after the party's recent electoral setbacks in the state.
Oppn members went into the area of treasury benches carrying a black banner, which demanded Shah's resignation, as Speaker Om Birla continued with proceedings of the House.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed the Lok Sabha that the situation in Manipur is largely under control, with no deaths reported in the last four months. However, he acknowledged that the situation cannot be considered satisfactory as displaced people are still living in relief camps. Shah attributed the violence to a high court decision regarding a reservation-related dispute, emphasizing that it was not terrorism-related but ethnic violence between two communities. He highlighted government efforts to establish peace, including discussions with both the Meitei and Kuki communities and a rehabilitation package for the displaced. While the opposition supported the resolution confirming the imposition of President's rule, they urged for a swift return to peace and normalcy in the state.
LS MPs are paid Rs 2.8 lakh per month plus travel and other perks which works out to nearly Rs 177 crore for 545 MPs during the last financial year. Add another Rs 78 crore for the Rajya Sabha MPs, according to data.
The Opposition also seems to be in a disarray as far as floor coordination is concerned with no meeting held to discuss the strategy to corner the government on key issues.
