Lok Sabha secretariat has sought an opinion from the Union law ministry whether the constitution needs to be amended to form a new state. Vicky Nanjappa reports
Congress general secretary and leader-in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijaya Singh added to the confusion surrounding the Telangana issue on Thursday when he spoke about the possibility of a Constitutional Amendment to create a separate state.
The Shiv Sena-UBT is facing a significant internal crisis, with reports suggesting that 'six to seven' of its nine Lok Sabha MPs are preparing to form a separate group. MP Arvind Sawant has formally requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla not to recognise any such breakaway faction, emphasising the primacy of the political party over its legislative wing.
NDA leaders have defended proposed amendments to the Women's Reservation Act and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, arguing women have waited long enough for reservation, while opposition parties allege the process could undermine India's federal and democratic structure, particularly impacting southern states.
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.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law as a front for the Delimitation Bill, which she claims will divide the country. She asserted that her party, the TMC, will fight this move at every step.
Amid calls from sections of the Muslim community that cow should be declared a national animal, a look at the Constituent Assembly debates shows that two Muslim members had sought an unambiguous spelling out of the state's stance on cow slaughter, with one of them even calling for prohibiting it as part of fundamental rights.
The Indian Parliament is expected to extend its budget session to introduce a bill increasing Lok Sabha seats to 816, reserving 273 for women, and amending the women's reservation law.
The 21-month-long Emergency also saw the government amend the Constitution several times, including to keep the elections to the offices of President, Vice President, Prime Minister and Speaker beyond the scrutiny of courts and insert the words 'socialist', 'secular' and 'integrity' in the Preamble.
Opposition MPs and transgender rights activists are calling for the withdrawal of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, citing concerns that the proposed changes could dilute the rights of transgender individuals.
Union Sports Minister Jitendra Singh expressed satisfaction over IOA' decision to bar charge-framed individuals from contesting its elections by bringing in a constitutional amendment.
'Even if this Bill passes in Parliament, it will reasonably face judicial scrutiny. 'One can reasonably expect challenges in the Supreme Court questioning its Constitutional validity.'
Ideology is dead; long live the numbers game that is being played with the sole intention of securing a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha for the NDA, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
"The Commission, with certain additional resources, can undertake the exercise of (holding) simultaneous elections in future," he said.
Sonia Gandhi criticises the government's proposed delimitation, claiming it's a politically motivated move to delay the caste census and gain an unfair advantage, rather than genuinely promoting women's reservation.
Olympian dressage rider Anush Agarwalla and the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) ad-hoc panel are engaged in a heated dispute over the selection process for the upcoming Asian Games. Agarwalla, a gold medallist and Paris Olympics representative, alleges a lack of transparency after being named a reserve member, while the EFI defends its process as compliant with selection criteria.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law as a front for the Delimitation Bill, which she claims will divide the country. She asserted that her party will fight this move at every step.
Opposition MPs and transgender rights activists are urging the withdrawal of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, citing concerns that the proposed changes could weaken the rights of transgender individuals.
'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.'
'We caught General Pervez Musharraf talking over the phone with his Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Mohammad Aziz. Musharraf was visiting China; Aziz was in Rawalpindi.'
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has claimed victory for the state after the Constitution Amendment Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha. Stalin criticised the Centre's handling of the Women's Reservation Bill and delimitation process, accusing the BJP of prioritising political gain over fairness and consultation.
The murder of a Jalandhar-based RTI activist has sparked outrage and political condemnation in Punjab, with opposition parties criticising the AAP government's handling of law and order.
'This type of comprehensive legislation has never been introduced before in Parliament's history.' 'A bill that simultaneously affects ministers, chief ministers, and the prime minister represents completely uncharted Constitutional territory.' 'Throughout our nation's legislative history, the established policy has consistently held that public office holders should face punishment only after receiving conviction from a competent court of law. Without this safeguard, we risk systematic destabilisation, and our federal structure would face complete collapse.' 'Any central government could potentially deploy this legislation against state governments they oppose politically. This represents the most frightening prospect and dangerous possibility that these bills create.'
The Election Commission will examine a complaint filed by opposition parties alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation violated the Model Code of Conduct for elections.
India's Constitution is far more than a supreme legal framework for ideal governance. It is a living chronicle.
The BJP and the Opposition have engaged in a war of words over the implementation of the women's reservation bill, which aims to reserve seats for women in legislatures. The bill was defeated in the Lower House, leading to accusations and counter-accusations between the parties.
The woman who confronted BJP workers during a protest in Mumbai's Worli area last month has criticised all political parties for disregarding the general public.
The Supreme Court of India has stated that the current legal framework is sufficient to address hate speech, declining to intervene and create new offences.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday held Bharatiya Janata Party responsible for the defeat of Constitution Amendment Bill on Lokpal.
The Congress party has accused the government of scheduling a 'special session' to pass bills related to women's quota and delimitation with the intention of gaining political advantage in the upcoming West Bengal and Tamil Nadu elections, calling it a violation of the model code of conduct.
In a swift political counter-offensive, the Bharatiya Janata Party and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners have announced a massive, nationwide protest campaign targeting the Opposition.
With the three-day special sitting of Parliament on the constitution amendment bill related to the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls set to begin on Thursday, a meeting of opposition parties is slated to be held on Wednesday at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal criticised the BJP's stance on women's reservation, challenging them to reject ideological texts like the Manusmriti. He accused the BJP of using the issue for political gains and misrepresenting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks.
'Anyone they don't like can be potentially arrested and thrown in jail for 30 days to induce regime change.'
At least 25 MPs of the Congress and its allies in the United Progressive Alliance were absent during voting on the Constitution Amendment Bill on Lokpal in the Lok Sabha which was defeated for lack of numbers.
'The reason why they rushed through the bill was they wanted to avoid using the 2026 Census because the 2026 Census by their own decision will be a caste census.' 'The BJP knows that a significant share of the OBCs who will get captured in the census, for the first time after the 1931 Census, are against the BJP. Only a segment of the OBCs are in their favour.' 'So they wanted to avoid the OBC reservation among women, which is a demand of a lot of Opposition parties.'
I wonder if I can rest assured -- before the election ink on my finger fades -- that my home state is at the threshold of a better future, wonders Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
It also aims to reduce the powers of the Supreme Court, with some authorities shifted to the proposed Constitutional Court, and immunity to the president from criminal proceedings for life.
Nagaland is seeking to implement the Juvenile Justice Act and Adoption Regulations in a way that respects the state's customary laws and traditional systems of care, while remaining legally sound.
