Balbir Punj, a former Rajya Sabha MP, journalist, and BJP leader, has died at the age of 76. Tributes have poured in from prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, recognising his contributions to the party and the world of media.
'The probe is on. The VCD is not clear and on the basis of it, it is difficult to make a case,' he said.
There are strong possibilities of some Union ministers being sent to take organisational roles in the BJP and party office-bearers being inducted into the Modi ministry.
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.
The contentious bill will be tables in RS on Wednesday. The BJP hopes to get up to 130 votes in a 240-member upper house.
The Supreme Court dismissed Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan's challenge to her rejected Rajya Sabha nomination, reaffirming that the Election Commission is the sole recourse for such disputes and citing Article 329(b) of the Constitution which bars judicial interference in electoral matters.
Its electoral triumphs in assembly polls, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, have made the BJP the single-largest party in the Rajya Sabha.
Cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar has come under criticism for not attending a single session of Paliament this year. Parliamentary records the former batsman has not attended a single session this year. He made it to just three in 2013 and has so far not participated in any debates in the house.
A defeat in UP will, therefore, dent the Modi government's efforts to win more seats in the Rajya Sabha.
The Centre is also considering proposals sent by state governments to declare many other areas no-flying zones.
Tamil Nadu Congress MP Christopher Tilak clarified that the postponement of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's meeting with Sonia and Rahul Gandhi was due to the leaders' busy schedules and ongoing organisational matters.
Procedural wrangles over voting for taking up a discussion on the alleged interference of the government in preparing Central Bureau of Investigation report on the coalgate scam led to a brief adjournment in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Members of Parliament belonging to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Monday exposed the chinks in the United Progressive Alliance's armour by getting question hour suspended in the Rajya Sabha with their demand to bring the Coalgate scam into focus
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.
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.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, who is in the eye of a storm over the Left demand for his resignation in the wake of fresh charges in the Suryanelli rape case, on Friday presided over the Upper House without objection from any member.
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 average asset of a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament is Rs 20.17 crore, says a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms. It also says that 67 per cent of Rajya Sabha MP's are crorepatis.
'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.'
23 political parties of the INDIA bloc will meet on Monday to redraw their strategy to take on the BJP and iron out differences amid changed power dynamics after the defeat of regional anchors TMC and DMK in the recent assembly polls.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has criticised the BJP-led central government following ED raids on state minister Sanjeev Arora, alleging political harassment and misuse of central agencies.
Mallya showed his net worth at Rs 615 crore, mainly in shares and bonds.
Speculation is rife in Bihar about Chief Minister Nitish Kumar potentially moving to the Rajya Sabha, leading to discussions about a possible BJP chief minister and a role for Kumar's son, Nishant. Senior BJP leaders have dismissed the rumours.
Continuing its boycott of Home Minister P Chidambaram, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Wednesday created ruckus in Rajya Sabha whenever the minister rose to answer queries put to him during the Question Hour
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.
Yoga guru Ramdev on Saturday sought to find fault with the Rajya Sabha nomination to Sachin Tendulkar, alleging that the "sinking" Congress might have pressured him to accept the honour to enhance its prestige.
Rediff.com lists a few celebs who have donned the role of a politician in the Rajya Sabha.
The ruling NDA alliance has secured a majority in the Rajya Sabha elections, winning key seats in Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana, while other candidates were elected unopposed across multiple states. The elections were marked by cross-voting allegations and political maneuvering.
The Rajya Sabha on Monday witnessed uproar over the steep Rs 2.35 a litre hike in petrol price and 50 paisa a litre increase in cost of diesel.
The CBI Director has updated a parliamentary panel on the NEET-UG paper leak investigation, while education ministry officials outlined measures for a fair retest.
In an embarrassment to the National Democratic Alliance, its key constituent Janata Dal-United on Tuesday strongly objected to certain remarks made by members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena in the Rajya Sabha on the recent Mumbai violence to protest against the Assam riots.
The BJP team under the new national president Nitin Nabin, who took charge in January, is expected to be announced within this month, with sources suggesting that some holding positions in the government may move to the party.
The Congress party has announced its support for Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra.
Sources said that Shiv Sena MPs Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai will now sit in the opposition benches during the Winter Session of Parliament, beginning Monday.
The debate on Lokpal Bill was tonight disrupted when several members in the Rajya Sabha, particularly Left parties, created uproar, wanting to know whether the proceedings would continue after midnight as the extension of the Winter Session was till only December 29.
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.
Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT) has invited leaders who sided with Eknath Shinde to return to the party led by Uddhav Thackeray, while also stating that some individuals will not be welcomed back.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said the Union Budget strikes a fine balance between growth, employment, and fiscal consolidation, and promotes cooperative federalism. Replying to the discussion on the Union Budget 2024-25 and Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Budget in Rajya Sabha, the minister said the government is on track to achieve the pre-announced fiscal deficit target of 4.5 per cent by 2025-26. Sitharaman, also a former defence minister, said the Agniveer Scheme to recruit people in the age group of 17.5 to 21 years, is aimed at keeping the armed forces fit, young and battle-ready.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has affirmed strong action against NEET paper leak culprits and urged state governments to collaborate with the Centre to prevent future incidents, emphasising national interest over party politics. He highlighted the successful re-examination and arrests made.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Wednesday shocked the Rajya Sabha by telling Chairman Hamid Ansari that he is "not seen" in the House in the afternoon after which the House is not allowed to function.
