'We ourselves hadn't heard it initially. Many people called us. The entire village was overjoyed.'
Communist Party of India national secretary D Raja was also among the 6 to elected to the Rajya Sabha from TN.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has accused the state government of imposing arbitrary conditions on crop purchases, alleging anti-farmer policies and demanding compensation for weather-related crop damage.
As the deadline for withdrawal of nominations for the Rajya Sabha biennial polls ended on Wednesday evening, legislative secretaries of the respective states announced its elected members. There were no surprises, with most seats assigned to the nominees unopposed.
Proceedings in the Upper House have been derailed almost every day for the last 10 days on various issues ranging from the Babri Masjid demolition to the controversy generated over the prime minister's remarks on minorities.
The Rajya Sabha today bid a touching farewell to its members who were retiring after serving their six-year term, including Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptulla and Leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh
Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha claims that leaders are leaving the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) due to disappointment and disgust, not fear. He cites the 'Sheesh Mahal' row as a key factor in AAP's potential defeat in future Delhi Assembly elections.
The prime minister was elected unopposed on May 18 after independent candidate Matang Singh withdrew from the contest.
The Opposition members on Monday strongly raised the issue of religious conversions, and a controversial statement made by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Yogi Adityanath on the Ayodhya issue and a report that government schools have been asked to observe Good Governance Day on Christmas Day, in the Rajya Sabha.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's purchase of 'jhalmuri' during a campaign stop, alleging it was a staged event for cameras. She also accused the BJP of aiding Independents from the minority community and criticised the Election Commission over voter roll revisions.
Congress member E M Sudarsana Natchiappan said by marching to the Divisional Commissioner's office in Jhansi to know why people were being deprived of their right to employment under the NREGS, Rahul Gandhi had proved himself to be 'Yuvraj of people and the Yuvraj of my party'.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirodi Lal Meena moved for leave to introduce the bill to provide for the constitution of the national inspection and investigation committee for preparation of a Uniform Civil Code and its implementation throughout India and for matters connected therewith during the private member's business.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has resigned, paving the way for a potential leadership change within the Congress party in the state. He and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar are in Delhi to discuss the formation of the new ministry with the Congress high command.
A united Opposition is expected to move amendments to the motion of thanks for the President's address on how note ban was a mess.
Election to the Rajya Sabha seat from Assam represented by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be held on May 24.
The bill to amend the 49-year-old law to guard against claims of succession or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan and China was passed amid a walkout by the entire Opposition.
The Upper House, which has seen continuous protests by the Opposition since the Monsoon session started on July 19 to press for discussions on Peagasus and farm laws, was adjourned thrice before the Chair finally adjourned it for the day.
Ignoring strong reservations by some senior party leaders and members of Legislative Assembly, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday announced his party's support to the ruling party's two candidates in the Rajya Sabha bye-election.
A Karnataka backward class federation has warned the Congress party against replacing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, asserting that the party's power relies on the support of backward classes and AHINDA communities.
The move has sparked a political row, with the opposition accusing the BJP of promoting a vegetarian agenda.
Ugly scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday as opposition MPs climbed on the officials' table, waved black cloth and threw files when the House began a discussion on farmers' protest against new reform laws.
As the Shiv Sena marks 60 years, political experts highlight the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction's existential crisis and the Eknath Shinde-led group's struggle for relevance in the face of a dominant BJP, a significant shift from the party's historical 'elder brother' status in Maharashtra.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has been elected as the BJP legislature party leader, paving the way for him to become the next Chief Minister of Bihar.
Kodoth Govindan Nair has defied the Congress high command and filed his nomination.
'It was done with record speed. First, a revolt of the MLAs, which was obviously engineered.' ''No one believed me when I said the MLAs breaking away is not the real issue.' 'It is like a comet. The head doesn't matter, the tail matters.' 'And the tail is Parliament. Suvendu has gifted the prime minister 20 MPs.'
Chairman of Bajaj Auto, Rahul Bajaj says that if he becomes a member of the Rajya Sabha he will not be a silent spectator.
As per the rules and regulations, members must not do anything that brings disrepute to the Parliament and affects their credibility, and members must utilise their position as Members of Parliament to advance general well-being of the people.
The government is keen to get the GST Bill approved during the Monsoon Session of Parliament ending on August 12.
Glitches in the automatic vote recording system of the Rajya Sabha on Friday marked the crucial voting on the motion against Foreign Direct Investment in multi-brand retail which the government won. Even after voting was conducted twice, the final figure was corrected after scrutiny by officials of the Rajya Sabha secretariat late on Friday night.
The BJP has issued a three-line whip to its MPs, requiring their presence during the extended Budget session of Parliament, where amendments to the Women's Reservation Act are expected to be considered.
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 boycott is on the issue of government's refusal to part with a CVC report to the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee.
Odisha's opposition BJD has requested Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to clarify his family's connection with the Vikas Foundation Trust, which is alleged to have purchased properties in the US. BJP leaders have dismissed the allegations as a smear campaign.
Senior NCP leader Narhari Zirwal says the public wants Sunetra Pawar, wife of late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, to be brought into the Maharashtra state ministry.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has alleged that the BJP's "real and ultimate target" in seeking a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha is to amend the Constitution to end reservation, rather than genuinely implement women's reservation.
But Congress' Kiran Chaudhary and BJP's Shakuntala Hegde lost in a close contest in the biennial elections.
Opposition leaders have criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, calling it politically motivated and a misuse of official platforms during ongoing elections.
Olympic bronze-medallist boxer and Rajya Sabha MP M C Mary Kom supported the government's decision to demonetise 500 and 1000 rupee notes, saying the move will stall the juggernaut of corruption.
Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has expressed disappointment saying "obstruction is destruction of parliamentary democracy".
The cross-examination of a prosecution witness has concluded in a Model Code of Conduct violation case involving AAP MP Sanjay Singh in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The next hearing is scheduled for May 21.
