Anguished by frequent disruptions of Question Hour, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari on Tuesday said this segment of proceedings should be "dispensed with" or shifted to some other part of the day.
Setting aside its differences with the Congress, the YSR Congress Party of Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Wednessay decided to support the candidatures of United Progressive Alliance candidates -- Pranab Mukherjee for president and Hamid Ansari for vice president.
Vice President Hamid Ansari will file nomination papers on Wednesday for his re-election to the post amid expectations in the United Progressive Alliance that he is set for a comfortable win.
Strains in the Congress-Trinamool ties seem to be disappearing with Mamata Banerjee announcing her party's support to United Progressive Alliance Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherje and the All India Congress Committee now hopes that the TMC would also back Hamid Ansari in the vice presidential race.
The decision was taken at a meeting in senior BJP leader LK Advani's residence on Monday, which was attended by the party's allies. At a press conference soon after, Jaswant Singh described the decision as a "great honour".
With the United Progressive Alliance declaring Hamid Ansari as its candidate for the post of vice president, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday decided to go for a contest, but maintained that it will finalise its nominee after consulting National Democratic Alliance allies.
Incumbent Hamid Ansari, who was named as United Progressive Alliance's nominee for the Vice Presidential election, on Saturday said he accepts the decision with "all humility" and thanked all political parties who supported his candidature.
Shumsher K Sheriff, who took over as secretary general of Rajya Sabha last month, was on Thursday introduced in the House by Chairman Hamid Ansari.
Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi's daughter M Kanimozhi on Monday took oath as a member of Rajya Sabha on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament.
Ending days of suspense, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday made it clear that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was her first choice for Presidentship and Vice President Hamid Ansari was also in the reckoning.
President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday greeted the nation on the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha.
Congress members, shouting slogans against the government, trooped into the well shouting slogans like "Modi teri tanashahi nahi chalegi".
Vice President M Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday condoled the death of Verghese Kurien, the founder of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation.
President Pratibha Patil, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul and Priyanka were among those who turned up early to vote in the fourth phase of elections on Thursday.
On Children's Day, the President showered his blessings and wishes on children, saying that the future of the nation depends on them.
Rediff.com's Saisuresh Sivaswamy, who travelled with Vice President Hamid Ansari as part of his media entourage during his recent trip to Vietnam, shares his experiences.
On the occasion, the PM presented a memento to the outgoing president.
Late cartoonist Mario Miranda, actors Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi, top mathematician M S Raghunathan, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner N Vittal and industry leader B Muthuraman were among those conferred the Padma awards by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Vice President Hamid Ansari on Thursday morning visited the historic Cu Chi camp 50 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, where an intricate network of underground tunnels barely enough for small-built human beings to move were built over 20 years -- from the 1940s to the 1960s -- by the locals to frustrate first France's and then America's military.
People of Cuba were offered a glimpse of India's diverse culture when visiting Vice President Hamid Ansari inaugurated a Festival of India in Havana to bring the two countries closer.
Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance on Thursday stuck to its demand for the Prime Minister's resignation on the coal block allocation issue at a meeting convened by the Rajya Sabha chairman to end the impasse and boycotted a meeting called by the Lok Sabha Speaker on the matter.
A meeting of leaders of political parties, called by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari to break the deadlock in the House over coal block allocation issue, remained inconclusive on Thursday.
After the presidential elections, it may still be advantage Congress-UPA but at some point the utter lack of governance is going to cost it dearly. Meanwhile the BJP has largely failed to take advantage of the disarray in the Congress, says Rohit Pradhan.
Parliament was adjourned on Monday morning after condoling the death of 3 sitting members, including former Union minister Murli Deora.
Known to be a workaholic, Pranab Mukherjee had a tight schedule on Thursday -- the first working day of his Presidency -- as he held a series of meetings. He also received Vice President Hamid Ansari at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Scripting a new chapter in his illustrious career, Pranab Mukherjee will on Wednesday take over as India's 13th President. Watch the momentous ceremony LIVE on rediff.com
Scripting a new chapter in his illustrious career, Pranab Mukherjee will on Wednesday take over as India's 13th President.
A day after her criticism of Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Thursday changed tune to say that she had 'respect' and 'full faith' in the chair and expressed hope that he will find ways for passage of the bill for quota in promotion.
Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday condoled the death of freedom fighter Captain Lakshmi Sehgal, saying that the nation has lost an icon of selfless service.
Mamata Banerjee's role in the vice-presidential race... Kapil Sibal's battle with MPs... Why Khurshid is a Khan and Gadkari is a worried man... All this, and more, this week's Dilli Gupshup.
The National Democratic Alliance could not have got a candidate for vice-presidential poll with more gravitas than Jaswant Singh, a former army officer who has headed finance, defence and external affairs ministries, authored books and even served as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
The announcement on the name of Singh, 74, is expected to be made on Monday, when all the partners of the alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, are expected to meet. Senior BJP leaders are of the opinion that the UPA nominee should not be allowed to win uncontested and all Opposition parties should put up a candidate against the ruling Congress-led front.
For the first time in the history of Rajya Sabha, its chairman and Vice President Hamid Ansari has permitted All India Anna Dravida Munetra Kazhagam -- a regional political party to initiate the FDI in retail discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Incumbent Hamid Ansari is the United Progressive Alliance's candidate for the Vice President's post and he is all set to get a second consecutive term.
The National Conference on Saturday pledged support for Hamid Ansari who appears to be the Congress choice in the vice presidential poll scheduled next month.
Key UPA constituent Trinamool Congress, however, may propose the name of former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi as Mamata Banerjee is not quite enthusiastic about Ansari's candidature for second term
Like in the Presidential election, Trinamool Congress, which sought to put a spanner in the UPA choice of Pranab Mukherjee, plans to convey its preference for Gandhi at a meeting of the UPA constituents on the issue on Saturday.
Amid prayers and a 21-gun salute, his body was consigned to flames at Smriti Sthal on the banks of Yamuna where Vice President Hamid Ansari and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi were also present.
Too much subsidised cooking gas is being consumed by country's VVIPs, according to the transparency portal launched on Friday by state-owned oil firms.
With Azadi's Daughter -- The Journey of a Liberal Muslim Woman, Seema Mustafa chronicles her journey from the violence-ridden 1980s when she covered riots in Assam, Punjab and Kashmir. She says the book heavily borrows anecdotes from her personal life, and presents her views on not only her personal journey but also reflects upon the issues that riddle the Indian Muslim.
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