The persistent heat has also put pressure on daily life, affecting outdoor work, travel, and electricity consumption in many parts of the country.
The Monsoon session of Parliament is expected to begin on July 20 and last for three weeks. Key political developments, including recent election victories and party rebellions, are set to influence the session, alongside the government's redrafting of a significant Constitution amendment bill concerning women's reservation and Lok Sabha seats.
Nadda replaces Union minister Piyush Goyal, who recently won the Lok Sabha election and took oath on Monday as a member of the Lower House of Parliament.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is set to meet with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi to discuss the state cabinet reshuffle following Siddaramaiah's resignation. Key topics include Rajya Sabha and MLC candidates, as well as potential appointments of multiple Deputy CMs to maintain social and regional balance.
It is not in the Lok Sabha, where the BJP has a clear majority, but the Rajya Sabha that the Opposition has ganged up to checkmate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious plans.
In a dramatic development on Friday, April 24, 2026, Aam Aadmi Party MPs Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal resigned from the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The opposition parties in India have announced a boycott of the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election, citing the Modi government's failure to appoint a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha for seven years and lack of consultation.
'We are pleased to announce the candidature of @sagarikaghose, @SushmitaDevAITC, @MdNadimulHaque6 and Mamata Bala Thakur for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections,' the party said in a tweet.
The AAP renominated Sanjay Singh and ND Gupta for a second term in the Upper House of Parliament, party sources said on Friday.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has requested a meeting with the Governor, intensifying speculation about a potential change in leadership, with rumours suggesting he may resign to allow his deputy, D K Shivakumar, to take over.
Amidst the INDIA bloc conclave in Delhi, a significant number of Trinamool Congress MPs convened a closed-door meeting, signalling a deepening internal rebellion and discontent within the party's parliamentary ranks following recent electoral setbacks.
The Aam Aadmi Party has petitioned for the disqualification of seven Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP, citing violation of the anti-defection law and betrayal of the people's mandate.
The report was tabled by Bharatiya Janata Party member Medha Vishram Kulkarni, a member of the panel.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has claimed that some dissident MPs are in contact with the party due to fear of public anger in their constituencies, with talks ongoing with at least two. He also criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan, who had made remarks about the Shiv Sena's legitimacy and the involvement of central investigative agencies. Raut asserted that there is only one Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray.
Most defections originated from three major parties -- the Congress, BJP and BSP.
The rejection of senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination papers transformed what should have been a routine Rajya Sabha election into a lesson in contemporary political warfare.
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.
Dinesh Trivedi's experience as a businessperson and his fluency in Bengali are expected to be crucial in strengthening India-Bangladesh relations, particularly in attracting Indian investments to Dhaka.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral was allegedly duped of Rs 7.8 crore after cyber fraudsters impersonated him on a messaging app and tricked his company's chief financial officer into transferring funds to multiple bank accounts, the police said on Thursday.
Fondly remembering the contribution of retiring members from the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday said the wisdom shared by them would be greatly missed and their departure would leave a void.
Senior Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee has issued an ultimatum to party chief Mamata Banerjee, asking her to choose between him and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, whom he blames for the party's recent turmoil. This comes as the TMC faces significant internal strife, including multiple Rajya Sabha MP resignations and claims of widespread defection among MLAs and MPs.
Odisha's BJD has accused the BJP of luring its leaders with inducements after Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantaray resigned and joined the BJP. The BJD spokesperson criticised Samantaray for criticising the party after enjoying benefits during its tenure.
Will DMK send former PM to the Rajya Sabha next month?
Harivansh is likely to be elected as the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman for a third term as the opposition has decided to boycott the election in protest.
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.
The Punjab police registered two FIRs under sections for non-bailable offences against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak. Both FIRs were filed in different districts of Punjab.
Congress chief whip Jairam Ramesh has filed a privilege notice against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for allegedly making derogatory remarks about a parliamentary committee, claiming he lowered the dignity of Parliament.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Sharad Pawar has been admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai for a health check-up.
The Punjab Police has reportedly withdrawn the security cover for Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh after he switched from AAP to BJP. This follows protests by AAP workers outside the residences of Singh and other defectors.
'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.'
The BJP holds 28 of the 59 Rajya Sabha seats that will soon face election.
The Congress' victory in the Karnataka assembly polls is likely to help the party get its candidates elected in three of the four Rajya Sabha seats from the state falling vacant next year.
Running a fractious House full of members every bit as well versed in parliamentary law as the chair, has, in the past, reduced several Rajya Sabha chairmen to tears.
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.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has strongly condemned a pre-dawn police search at MP Abhishek Banerjee's Kalighat residence in connection with an alleged financial fraud, calling it an act of political vendetta by West Bengal's BJP government. The party claims the search yielded no incriminating evidence, intensifying political confrontation in the state.
Union ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu and George Kurian were elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha Tuesday along with senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi and former minister Upendra Kushwaha.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to chair a crucial Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, April 14.
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.
As vice president and ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankar is inheriting a troubled legacy. Although the government faces no real numerical challenges in the Upper House, political and legal challenges are there aplenty.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to get a majority in the Rajya Sabha in April this year, once the remaining six vacancies under the nominated category are filled and those newly elected take oath.
