Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Kalyan Banerjee and Kirti Azad have launched a scathing attack on rebel party MPs, accusing them of lacking political morality, maintaining links with the BJP, and abandoning party workers amidst alleged harassment and political attacks.
Cricketer-turned-politician Harbhajan Singh revealed in a podcast interview that his decision to switch from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stemmed from the AAP government's alleged neglect of his concerns regarding drug abuse and sports promotion in Punjab.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Punjab government to ensure the safety of Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh and his family, following his defection from AAP to BJP and subsequent protests outside his residence.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is set to make crucial decisions regarding the status of rebel factions from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Shiv Sena (UBT) before the Monsoon session of Parliament begins on July 20, following demands for their disqualification by their parent parties.
'Where is the official record? Media bytes are not parliamentary records. What matters is what is recorded on the floor of Parliament. I am not denying that we had a heated exchange.'
Kharge condemned the use of the "abodh balak" term for Gandhi and alleged that BJP MPs can't even speak their mind.
Three months after winning power in West Bengal, the BJP is confronting a significant political challenge: how to expand and consolidate its presence without adopting the very political culture it campaigned against, particularly concerning the integration of former TMC leaders and the need to curb practices like extortion and intimidation among its own cadres.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday took the Congress to the cleaners over making the 2024 general elections about the protection of the Constitution, saying Indians voted on the plank only once when they threw out the Indira Gandhi government in 1977 after the Emergency.
The Modi government is learning to deal with the reality that it does not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha.
AAP MP Raghav Chadha claims he was silenced after being removed as the party's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, alleging his own party sought to prevent him from speaking in Parliament.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to discuss resolving the persistent deadlock in the Lok Sabha's monsoon session, focusing on the Delimitation Bill and FCRA Bill, though no immediate commitment was secured from the Congress leader.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has dismissed "baseless" rumours of a possible merger with the Congress, despite recent meetings between TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, which occurred amidst significant internal rebellion within the TMC following its recent electoral defeat in West Bengal.
The BJP accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of objecting to the full version of Vande Mataram at an Independence Day event, sparking a political row. The Congress denied the charge, stating Gandhi was only seeking a chair for party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and clarified the historical context of the song's usage.
Maharashtra's opposition leaders acknowledged a sense of discomfort within the ruling party, fueling speculation about the state's political stability.
'It's a bit uncertain. Let's see what happens. But he is the top man of Assam, and since my politics is in Assam, I thought it's best to seek his guidance before I take any decision.'
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing a deepening internal crisis marked by fresh resignations and an escalating rebellion, even as its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to discuss opposition coordination and the future of the INDIA bloc.
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.
Tendulkar, who was nominated as a Rajya Sabha member in April last year along with Bollywood actor Rekha and businesswoman Anu Aga, shook hands with some MPs before taking his seat.
BJP-led govt will need regional parties' support in Upper House to get legislation cleared. Archis Mohan reports
Union Minister Kumari Selja was named the Congress nominee for Rajya Sabha elections, putting an end to speculation that former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit could be brought to the Upper House from Haryana.
Rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee has declared his dissident camp as the 'real Trinamool Congress,' claiming the support of 64 MLAs and a growing number of MPs, and explicitly stating they have no plans to merge with the Congress.
Though the Bharatiya Janata Party is not overly worried about getting the amended land acquisition bill through in the Upper House, it has nevertheless decided to have a three-day gap between the dates of the sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha for the Budget session.
The prime minister is now expected to speak on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha, where the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address has taken place without any disruption.
The Delhi services bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Monday with 131 MPs voting in its favour and helping the government complete the parliamentary procedure for the proposed legislation that saw the opposition parties join ranks.
Rajya Sabha will sit for late hours in last week of the first half of the budget session from Monday to clear the pending legislative and other businesses.
At this point at 85, Sharad Pawar is like a mature but ageing trapeze artist who is assessing if he will still land on his feet if he jumps from the safe perch of INDIA to the NDA. Can a Great Betrayal be presented as a tactical move? Watch Sharad Pawar do it, predicts Aditi Phadnis.
The BJP's defeat in Bihar dents its hopes of improving its RS tally but the grand alliance victory could also present the first signs of tension when five JD-U members retire next year.
The BJP could ask at least a dozen of its 92 Rajya Sabha MPs, particularly those who have served more than one term, to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
A defeat in UP will, therefore, dent the Modi government's efforts to win more seats in the Rajya Sabha.
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.
Dissident Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh, whose name has cropped up in the Saradha chit fund scam and who was served a show-cause notice for speaking against party chief Mamata Banerjee, was suspended from the party on Saturday, while two other MPs who had also hit out at the leadeship were spared.
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.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Dina Patil allegedly abused and threatened journalists, prompting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to ask him to express regret. The incident occurred after journalists questioned Patil about a letter from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and his daughter's political stance, leading to a political controversy.
A weak presence in the Rajya Sabha has forced the NDA to try and rope in 'weak links' in the Opposition ranks to pass key legislation in the Upper House.
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has replaced Saayoni Ghosh as youth wing president and Mala Roy as women's wing president, amidst a significant rebellion within the party where dissident MPs claim to have the support of 20 of the party's 28 Lok Sabha members.
Trinamool Congress floor leader Derek O'Brien was suspended from the Upper House of Parliament on Tuesday for the remaining part of the Winter session after he threw a Rajya Sabha rule book at the Chair.
Mamata Banerjee strongly defended her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, apologising to the public for "traitors" who left the TMC. She accused the BJP of using investigative agencies to engineer defections and praised Abhishek for his resilience against political attacks, asserting that her family never compromised for political survival.
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha refutes allegations of inaction in Parliament, asserting his commitment to raising public issues and creating impact.
'Something could happen to me... I understood that day itself that what they had sent me was a final warning.'
'Who among Opposition party MPs has so much power that they raise some issue and the government implements it? The answer is no one except Raghav Chadha.'
