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.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday led the Rajya Sabha in felicitating Hamid Ansari on his second term as vice president and chairman of the House, saying his re-election was a tribute to his qualities. When the House met for the day, the prime minister stood up to felicitate and congratulate Ansari, who took oath as the vice president for his second term on Saturday.
This follows complaints from the Congress that nomination papers of two of its candidates were rejected "unconstitutionally."
All eleven Rajya Sabha candidates in the fray in Uttar Pradesh, including businessman Anil Ambani, actress Jaya Bachchan and hotelier Lalit Suri, were declared elected unopposed in the biennial elections on Saturday.
Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh has petitioned the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking the restoration of his security cover after it was withdrawn following his defection from AAP to BJP. Singh cites a mob attack on his residence and potential threats as reasons for the plea.
The stage is set for a direct contest between NDA nominee C P Radhakrishnan and joint opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy for the September 9 vice-presidential election. Nominations have been scrutinized and accepted.
The Congress party is set to challenge the Modi government on a range of critical issues, including alleged theft of Ram temple donations, 'systemic corrosion' of the education system, and constitutional amendment bills related to delimitation and dismissal of ministers, during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.
'Something could happen to me... I understood that day itself that what they had sent me was a final warning.'
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.
Election watchdog Association of Democratic Reforms also reported that Janata Dal-United's Mahendra Prasad was the richest with assets worth Rs 4,078 crore.
The dramatic development marked the culmination of a revolt that began with allegations of forged signatures on a letter proposing a Leader of Opposition and snowballed into an open challenge to the party leadership following the TMC's defeat at the hands of the BJP in the assembly elections.
Objections had been raised to Jaya holding an office of profit as the chairman of the UP film council while being a member of the upper house at the same time.
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.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has moved to an ashram on the outskirts of Patna to continue his political activities ahead of the next assembly elections. He criticised Nitish Kumar and urged voters to prioritise their own interests.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Jharkhand faced embarrassment on Thursday when their candidate S S Ahluwalia lost the Rajya Sabha elections, which was held afresh after being countermanded earlier as the Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bagged the two seats.
The stage would be set for the elections with the issue of notification on Friday.
A draw of lots was held on Friday to allot Rajya Sabha members to Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh following division of the state.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced the completion of "Operation Tiger" as six Lok Sabha members from the Shiv Sena (UBT) officially defected to the ruling Shiv Sena. This move further formalises a split in the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction, strengthening Shinde's party and marking a significant political development in Maharashtra.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju indicated that the government may bring a bill to increase seats in the Lok Sabha, potentially to implement reservation for women in the legislature. The Opposition has raised concerns about the timing and implications of the proposed bills.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met with President Droupadi Murmu to request the termination of Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab who defected to the BJP. Mann also advocated for a constitutional provision allowing voters to remove elected officials who fail to perform.
According to RS members, these polls distort the election process.
Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee claims 64 dissident TMC MLAs have submitted their names to the Speaker, constituting over two-thirds of the party's Assembly strength, and has called for a floor test to verify their claims of support amidst a widening split within the Trinamool Congress.
A rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, has taken control of the party's organisational headquarters in Kolkata. This move follows their claim to the party's name and symbol before the Election Commission, intensifying the power struggle with the Mamata Banerjee-led faction. Both sides are now preparing submissions for the Election Commission regarding the party's control.
EVMs can't be used in presidential, vice-presidential, or Rajya Sabha polls because they only count simple votes, not the preference-based system needed for these elections.
The Trinamool Congress MP said he is unable to bear various incidents that are happening in West Bengal.
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.
There are two such seats in Tamil Nadu and one each in West Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra, Puducherry and Madhya Pradesh.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faces a significant setback with the departure of seven MPs, including prominent figures, impacting its parliamentary strength and preparedness for upcoming elections. This exodus follows a turbulent period marked by the arrests of key leaders and raises questions about the party's future.
Digvijaya Singh is no longer in Rahul's close circle of advisers. His move to the Upper House was to ensure that the senior leader does not meddle in Madhya Pradesh politics in the run up to the crucial Lok Sabha polls. Anita Katyal reports
In its list of 26 candidates for Thursday's assembly elections, 13 are from the Bengali-speaking Muslim community -- a demographic that was at the centre of the original Assam agitation.
For renomination to the Rajya Sabha, Nadda will have to look for a seat outside his home state of Himachal Pradesh as the Congress is in power there.
The CPI(M) will attend the INDIA bloc meeting on Monday, with its MP John Brittas expected to raise concerns about allegations made by Congress leaders during the Kerala Assembly elections. The Left party is awaiting a clarification from the Congress regarding claims of a CPI(M)-BJP understanding, which it views as inconsistent with alliance cooperation.
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and senior Congress leader Murli Deora are among the seven candidates from Maharashtra that were on Friday elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in the biennial polls in Mumbai.
The Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday saw cross-voting by a BJP MLA while another party legislator claimed that she was prevented from voting.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has alleged that some Maharashtra MPs are being offered 'Rs 50 crore' to switch sides, amid intense speculation of an imminent split within the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. Raut challenged any dissidents to resign their parliamentary seats before defecting.
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.
A Model Code of Conduct violation case hearing involving AAP MP Sanjay Singh has been adjourned due to the investigating officer's absence. The case relates to an alleged unauthorised election meeting during the Uttar Pradesh panchayat polls in 2021.
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Arup Chakraborty on Monday said the breakaway faction is trying to "rectify" the party, and would fight for the control of its election symbol, even as the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit termed the move illegal under the anti-defection law.
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.
