Three former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MPs, including Sushmita Dev and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday and, within hours, were named the saffron party's candidates for the Rajya Sabha bypolls from West Bengal, underlining both their political rehabilitation and the party's calibrated shift in inducting leaders from the erstwhile ruling dispensation.
Rajya Sabha Chairman and Lok Sabha Speaker reject opposition notices to remove Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing insufficient grounds.
The Modi government is learning to deal with the reality that it does not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was on Monday named as the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, while Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad was declared the Leader of the Opposition.
NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse has firmly stated his disinterest in rejoining the BJP, despite being called by Amit Shah, and affirmed his commitment to Sharad Pawar, dismissing recent speculation about his political future.
The bill aims to include all the Muslims sects in the Waqf board, Rijiju said.
The Left parties have decided to back the annulment motion and efforts are on to mobilise members of Parliament across party lines. If the motion is accepted by the Rajya Sabha, it will be sent to the Lok Sabha, probably in the monsoon session, reports Shivam Vij
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.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has dismissed allegations of 'seat theft' in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, asserting that Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination was deliberately undermined by her own party leaders who were vying for the same seat.
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.
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.
Recent BJP organisational moves and Rajya Sabha nominations have sparked speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may soon undertake a ministerial reshuffle.
'You cannot run Parliament with 800 MPs as nobody will get time (to speak in Parliament). And Parliament sits for barely 60 days in a year.' 'Look at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. They have 650 MPs and they sit for 150 days on an average in a year.'
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.
Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Jyoti Waghmare has filed a complaint with the National Commission for Women (NCW) against UBT Sena MP Sanjay Raut, alleging continuous use of abusive language and public insult of women representatives. Waghmare has sought the registration of a criminal case against Raut, citing his conduct over the past four years and its negative impact on Maharashtra's political culture.
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.
On Tuesday, the government had agreed to refer it to the committee.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
The Indian government and opposition are preparing for a contentious Monsoon Session of Parliament, with key issues including the Constitution Amendment Bill on delimitation and women's reservation, the alleged NEET paper leak, and a row over Ram temple donations set to spark heated debates.
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.
The government seeking to give another push to the controversial measure despite not having the numbers in the Rajya Sabha.
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 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.
Harivansh is likely to be elected as the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman for a third term as the opposition has decided to boycott the election in protest.
As more opposition MPs are now aligning with the ruling NDA, sources in the government indicated that possibilities are being explored to give a fresh push to the delimitation legislation in Parliament.
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.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced the completion of "Operation Tiger" as six Lok Sabha members from the Shiv Sena (UBT) officially defected to the ruling Shiv Sena. This move further formalises a split in the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction, strengthening Shinde's party and marking a significant political development in Maharashtra.
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.
Sources said the party top brass including Gandhi and Kharge held several hours of discussions with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, apart from meeting them separately, and is likely to take a call on a possible change of guard in the state after the Rajya Sabha polls, which are due next month.
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.
A group of rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs reportedly met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, claiming support of six members, while Uddhav Thackeray loyalists deny any defection. The party has issued a whip for a crucial meeting, and the anti-defection law's implications are being discussed amidst allegations of bribery.
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?"
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.
