Page 9 - Lok Sabha Mps

MPs who win Assembly polls have to quit one seat in 14 days, says expert

Several of the MPs who contested the assembly polls and won will have to quit one of the seats in the next 14 days, else they stand to lose their Parliament membership, an expert said citing provisions of the Constitution. The BJP fielded 21 MPs, including Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Singh Patel and Faggan Singh Kulaste, in the assembly polls -- seven each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, four in Chhattisgarh and three in Telangana. The MPs who win assembly polls will have to quit one of their seats in the next 14 days. "If they don't, on expiry of 14 days, they will lose their membership of Parliament. However, they can continue as member of the state legislative assembly," Constitution expert and former Lok Sabha secretary general P D T Achari said citing Prevention of Simultaneous Membership Rule issued by the president in 1950 under Article 101 of the constitution. While counting is on in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, it will take plac

Notifications to MPs: Apple team from US likely to meet CERT-In officials

Apple's cyber security executives from the US are expected to meet officials of CERT-In this month regarding the show cause notice issued to the company in the wake of several opposition MPs receiving a warning notification on their iPhones. Last month, several opposition leaders claimed they have received an alert from Apple warning them of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones and alleged hacking by the government. CERT-In, which comes under Meity, had issued a show cause notice to Apple in this regard. On Friday, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that Apple has to reply to the notice which needs to be done by their global cyber security team. "They have to come here and answer those questions. Basic issue is ongoing," the minister told reporters. He said that Indian Computer Emergency Response Team or CERT-In has met local representative of Apple but the issue is beyond their capabili

Mahua Moitra row: LS underlines confidentiality of govt's replies to MPs

The Lok Sabha secretariat has underscored the confidentiality of government's replies to MPs during the Question Hour in the House and asked them to access their portal only for their exclusive use, a development triggered by the raging "cash-for-query" row involving TMC MP Mahua Moitra. "It may be noted that since the replies are log-in and password protected on the Members' Portal, they are exclusively for the use of Members only," the Lok Sabha secretariat said in its bulletin dated November 10, a day after the the House's Ethics Committee recommended Moitra's expulsion. Members are, therefore, requested to maintain confidentiality of the replies and not to share the contents with others until the Question Hour is over, it added. It informed MPs that the contents of reply made in response to a question is "strictly confidential" until the question for oral answer has been asked and answered in the House. In case a question could not come up for oral answer, the reply to the ...

More than 700 private members' bills pending in Lok Sabha, shows data

More than 700 private members' bills, several of which seek to amend penal provisions and electoral laws, are pending in the Lok Sabha. While several of these bills were introduced in June 2019, when the present Lok Sabha was formed after the parliamentary polls, some were tabled as recently as August this year during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Private member bills are those introduced by MPs in their personal capacity. The aim of bringing a private bill is highlighting new laws that they think should be introduced or changes they believe are necessary in the existing statutes. According to a Lok Sabha bulletin issued on Friday, 713 such bills are pending in the Lower House. These bills deal with issues such as bringing a uniform civil code, gender equality, climate change, agriculture, amendment to the existing criminal and electoral laws and tweaking constitutional provisions. The second half of Fridays when Parliament is in session is reserved for the members to introdu

Bribe for query charge: BJP MP Dubey sharpens attack on Mahua Moitra

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday sharpened his attack on the TMC's Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra and posed a volley of questions over the "bribe for query" allegations against her, saying it was a matter of Parliament's dignity and India's security. In a post on X, he asked Moitra to clarify if her NIC mail was opened in Dubai or not and who bore the expenses of her foreign trips. "The question is not about Adani, degree or theft, but about your corruption by misleading the country," the BJP MP said in his post on the microblogging site without naming Moitra. The question is about the dignity of Parliament, the security of India and the proprietary, corruption and criminality of the said MP, he wrote on X, with hashtags "degree wali desh beche (the one who has degree sells the country)" and "chand paise ke le jamir beche (sells conscience for few bucks)". "The answer has to be given whether NIC mail was opened in Dubai or not? Whether questions were asked in exchange for money o

Three Lok Sabha MPs in BJP's list of 52 candidates for Telangana polls

Three Lok Sabha MPs, including its former Telangana president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, figured on Sunday in the BJP's first list of 52 candidates for the November 30 state assembly polls. The BJP has also given ticket to its firebrand Hindutva leader T Raja Singh from his Goshamahal seat after revoking his suspension, effected last year for alleged insulting remarks towards Prophet Mohammad. Its election committee head Etela Rajender has been fielded from Huzurabad, a seat the former BRS leader represents in the outgoing assembly. Kumar has been fielded from Karimnagar and two other MPs, Soyam Bapu Rao and Dharmapuri Arvind, from Boath and Koratla. The BJP has four Lok Sabha MPs from the state. Union minister and its state president G Kishan Reddy is another MP whose name is not in the first list. The BJP is trying hard to emerge as the main challenger to the ruling BRS with the Congress also putting up a strong fight.

'Mahayuti' to focus on winning 45 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra: CM Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said constituents of the 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance) will now focus on winning 45 out of the total 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, in the general elections due next year. Mahayuti comprises the ruling BJP, Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde, and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). Targeting Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for reaching out to socialist parties, Shinde told reporters here that the move to join hands with socialist leaders amounts to "adulteration" of the Hindutva ideology. Thackeray, while addressing leaders of 21 socialist parties in the state on Sunday, claimed differences with them were mainly ideological which can be settled for the cause of democracy. The Sena (UBT) leader had also said "many of them may be Muslims but they are nationalists who want to protect the country's democracy". CM Shinde was speaking to reporters during visit to a Navaratri programme in Thane city shortly after midnight on Wednesday. Asked ab

LS Speaker refers complaint against TMC MP Mahua Moitra to ethics panel

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has referred BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's "bribe-for-query" complaint against Trinamool Congress member Mahua Moitra to the Ethics Committee of the lower House. Dubey has accused Moitra of taking "bribes" from a businessman to ask questions in Parliament and urged Birla to constitute an "inquiry committee" to look into the charges against her. Moitra has hit back, saying she "welcomes any move against her after the Lok Sabha Speaker is finished dealing with pending charges against him (Dubey)". The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha is chaired by BJP member Vinod Kumar Sonkar. On Sunday, Dubey wrote to Birla under the subject "Re-emergence of nasty 'Cash for Query' in Parliament, Direct involvement of Smt. Mahua Moitra, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) for serious 'Breach of Privilege', 'Contempt of the House' and a 'Criminal Offence' under Section 120-A of IPC". Citing a letter he has received from an advocate, Dubey said the lawyer has shared "irrefutable"

EVMs have increased transparency, efficiency of poll process: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said nearly 100 crore Indians will be eligible to vote in the Lok Sabha elections next year and asserted that the electronic voting machine has increased transparency and efficiency of the country's electoral system. Addressing the inaugural session of the ninth G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) here, he invited the delegates to visit India again next year to witness the "festival of democracy" (the next Lok Sabha elections due in 2024 summer). He said the large voter turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls shows the trust people have in the country's parliamentary practices. Over 67 per cent of the 91 crore eligible voters had exercised their franchise in the last parliamentary polls. He said the electoral process of the country has been modernised and now the electronic voting machine (EVM) has been in use for the past 25 years. The EVM has brought transparency and efficiency to the election process he said, adding now election results a

Objectionable remarks row: Bidhuri skips LS Privileges Committee meeting

BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, who was scheduled to appear before a parliamentary panel on Tuesday in connection with his controversial remarks against BSP's Danish Ali, excused himself from the appearance citing prior engagements, sources said. Bidhuri is busy in campaigning for the party in poll-bound Rajasthan where the BJP has made him in-charge of Tonk district, which has four assembly seats. Assembly polls are due in the state on November 23. The Privileges Committee of Lok Sabha had asked Bidhuri for "oral evidence" in relation to complaints received from several MPs against him and BSP MP Ali for "alleged improper conduct during the discussion on Chandrayaan-3 mission in the House". While several opposition MPs had demanded action against Bidhuri, some BJP members said Ali "incited" him and also made objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A member from Gujjar community, Bidhuri has been drafted in by the BJP for poll work in Tonk, where it is present in a larg

Assembly polls: BJP fields more LS MPs in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh

The BJP released its first list of 41 candidates for Rajasthan, which has 200 seats

Muted performance by first-term MPs in 17th Lok Sabha, shows data

For every 100 debates involving experienced MPs, first-term MPs participated in 182 in the previous Lok Sabha. This ratio dropped to 92 in the 17th Lok Sabha, falling behind experienced ones

Congress MP Manish Tewari demands to conduct 2024 polls on paper ballots

He said even countries that adopted EVMs have gone back to paper ballots, saying that the devices could be "interfered with"

Probe indecent conduct of Danish Ali too: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey to Speaker

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said on Saturday the Lok Sabha Speaker should also probe the "indecent" conduct and remarks of Danish Ali, who was recently at the receiving end of ruling party member Ramesh Bidhuri's derogatory words in the House. Dubey was, however, categorical in condemning Bidhuri's comments, saying no decent society can justify them and they cannot be condemned enough. "But the Lok Sabha Speaker should also probe the indecent remarks and conduct of Danish Ali. Under Lok Sabha rules, obstructing another MP during the time allotted to him, speaking while sitting and giving a running commentary also call for punishment," he posted on X. Dubey said that he has been a Lok Sabha MP for nearly 15 years and stays in the House throughout, spending more time than others. "I never thought that I would witness such a day," he added. Bidhuri's abusive outburst in the House on Thursday embarrassed the BJP and sparked outrage, with Speaker Om Birla issuing him a warning and his own pa

BJP issues show cause notice to Bidhuri over his remarks against Danish Ali

The BJP on Friday issued a show cause notice to its Lok Sabha member Ramesh Bidhuri for his use of objectionable words against Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali in Parliament during a discussion on Chandrayaan mission's success. BJP sources said the party has sought a reply from the South Delhi MP for his use of unparliamentary words. Bidhuri had used derogatory words against Ali while speaking in Lok Sabha on Thursday. Speaker Om Birla later expunged those words. Union minister Rajnath Singh had expressed regret for Bidhuri's remarks. The video of Bidhuri's controversial references to the Muslim MP have gone viral with opposition parties demanding strict action against him, including suspension from the House. Speaker Birla has cautioned him and warned of strict action if such an offence is repeated.

Caste census to delimitation: Highlights on Women Reservation Bill debate

Sonia Gandhi leads the debate, parties try to claim credit for Bill, MPs call for caste census and question role of delimitation

BRS leaders to meet on Friday to discuss special Parliamentary session

Telangana CM KCR will chair the meeting. All BRS MPs from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been asked to mandatorily attend the Parliamentary Party meeting

Election fever: Political consulting firms looking for top talent

Apart from IITs and IIMs, political consulting firms are hiring fresh graduates from TISS, NLU, Delhi University, among other institutions

Opposition has come together to save Constitution, democracy: INDIA leaders

Leaders of the Opposition's INDIA alliance on Thursday said they have come together to save the Constitution and democracy in the country, and would evolve a common program as they prepare to take on the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A two-day meet of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is being held at Grand Hyatt hotel here. Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said the need of the hour is to strengthen the unity and sovereignty of the country, and protect the Constitution and democracy. "The Modi government has failed to address the issues of poverty, unemployment and welfare of farmers. At the INDIA alliance meet, we will work on evolving a common programme. We have to contest elections one-on-one (put up common candidates against the BJP) ," the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader said. Yadav's son and deputy chief minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav said the Maha Gatbandhan came to power in Bihar last August and Lalu Prasad Yada

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's suspension from Lok Sabha revoked

Earlier in the day, Chowdhury appeared before the Privileges Committee of Lok Sabha and expressed regret over his conduct in the House