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.
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 Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Finance Bill 2025, along with 35 government amendments, including one that abolishes a 6 per cent digital tax on online advertisements.
It is not in the Lok Sabha, where the BJP has a clear majority, but the Rajya Sabha that the Opposition has ganged up to checkmate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious plans.
'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.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday lashed out at TMC MP Saugata Roy for objecting to her speaking in Hindi on a bill, pointing out that the translation technology allows members to listen to speeches in any language.
After much delay, the landmark Lokpal Bill was on Tuesday passed by the Rajya Sabha, marking a step closer to enactment of a new law under which an anti-corruption ombudsman would be set up.
Union Minister of State L Murugan resigned from the Modi government and his Rajya Sabha membership on Tuesday, stating his intention to return to Tamil Nadu to strengthen the BJP ahead of the 2029 parliamentary elections. His resignation fuels speculation about an upcoming cabinet reshuffle.
The Constitution (116th Amendment) Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha by a determined Opposition, helped by the absence of parties supporting the government from outside like the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal
Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday amid protests by opposition and treasury benches over the alleged insult to Dr B R Ambedkar and directions by Speaker Om Birla to members against holding demonstrations at any gate of Parliament.
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.
'With one more year remaining in the term, and 58 average sitting days a year, the 17th Lok Sabha is unlikely to sit for more than 331 days.' 'This could make it the shortest full-term Lok Sabha since 1952.'
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.
Murugan's resignation comes amid speculation over an impending ministerial reshuffle.
Lok Sabha proceedings on Tuesday began in the new Parliament building, located adjacent to the old one, starting a new chapter in the parliamentary history of India.
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.
Major opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, and SP, boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die, while some opposition leaders attended a similar event in the Rajya Sabha.
Two Rajya Sabha MPs from Gujarat -- BJP president Amit Shah, now Home Minister, and Smriti Irani, who has got the women and child development ministry -- have won the Lok Sabha polls, thus creating two vacancies in the Upper House of Parliament from the state.
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 Rajya Sabha witnessed an uproar on Tuesday over an unparliamentary remark by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, who apologized to the Chair while clarifying that it was meant for the government that was "trying to create a regional divide" in the country. The controversy stemmed from a statement by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who slammed the Tamil Nadu government for its stand on the three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP). Kharge's use of a Hindi expression, deemed unparliamentary, sparked outrage from the treasury benches. He subsequently apologized for the remark, stating it was directed at the government's policies and not the Chair.
Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day as amid uproarious scenes with the opposition and treasury benches shouting slogans.
It is expected that it will be "far better than Lok Sabha TV and will give competition to private channels in the 9 pm news segment".
The Trinamool Congress has lost the chairpersonship of two significant Parliamentary panels following a reconstitution by Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. This development comes after a split in the TMC, with rebel MPs joining the Nationalist Citizen Party and supporting the NDA. The TMC has strongly criticised the move, alleging that Parliament is being turned into a 'deep, dark chamber' due to their exclusion from committee leadership.
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said there are many leaders in the Opposition parties who are "capable" of handling the work of the Leader of Opposition but it is up to them to take a decision as it is their "internal matter".
The Vishwaguru who addressed the maximum rallies and boasted of being blessed with divine energy, who promised guarantees in his own name, turned out finally not invincible, points out Jyoti Punwani.
It is day 5 of the Budget session of Parliament on Tuesday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to reply on Presidential speech in Lok Sabha.
Opposition alliance INDIA on Thursday boycotted a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Rajya Sabha to protest Prime Minister Narendra Modi not making a statement on Manipur violence in Parliament, a senior leader said.
Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Anantnag -Rajouri constituency, his party Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) said.
The government now seeks to bring a constitutional amendment bill in this regard in Lok Sabha on Tuesday and in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, for which the session has been extended.
Lok Sabha lost a sixth of its time to disruptions.
'Dialogue and discussion, not conflict, are the way forward.' 'Internal fighting strengthens our enemies and provides material to divide us.'
The two-time Rajya Sabha MP will be succeeding Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who has been elected to the Lok Sabha.
Former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday appeared all set to become Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha after his appointment as Leader of Congress in the Upper House.
Human Resources Minister Arjun Singh said it was passed by Lok Sabha with 'near consensus' and hoped that the Upper House too will follow suit.
As the members of the Rajya Sabha will be seated at multiple locations, including the galleries of the House and in the Lok Sabha, a hotline facility between the chambers of the two Houses has been created for the technology-aided session.
The Lok Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament, will debate the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday. The bill has been met with strong opposition from several parties who claim it is unconstitutional. The government, however, insists the bill aims to improve the management of Waqf properties in India by bringing transparency and efficiency.
An analysis by ADR and National Election Watch reveals that 111 MPs and MLAs changed parties after winning elections between 2022 and 2026. Nagaland and West Bengal recorded the highest number of switches. The report also highlights party-level impacts and suggests reforms to the anti-defection framework.
Opposition parties of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) boycotted Lok Sabha proceedings on Friday to protest the suspension of Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from the House.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till Tuesday after the tabling of the Budget.
Opposition parties are planning a third attempt to move a motion for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. This renewed effort follows an Indian Express report highlighting objections from two other Election Commissioners regarding decisions made without their knowledge, particularly concerning voter registration and electoral roll management.
