Page 26 - Rajya Sabha

11 Himachal MLAs move to U'khand, Union minister says Sukhu govt will fall

Six Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs who voted against party nominee Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha elections, along with three Independent lawmakers, have shifted to a hotel in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand amid an ongoing rebellion against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Two BJP MLAs Vikram Thakur and Trilok Jamwal from Himachal Pradesh were accompanying the legislators, who arrived in Rishikesh from Haryana's Panchkula by a chartered flight late on Friday and checked into Hotel Taj. Congress MLAs Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhuttu, Ravindra Thakur and Chaitanya Sharma have since been disqualified for defying the party whip on the state budget. They have approached the Supreme Court for relief in the matter. Three Independent MLAs Hoshiar Singh, KL Thakur and Ashish Sharma were also with them when they arrived. The Congress currently has 34 MLAs in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly while the BJP has 25. The three Independent MLAs had als

Anti-national narratives, tendencies should be dismantled: VP Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said anti-national narratives in the current times also resound from Indian legislature and the youth have the responsibility to neutralise these tendencies which are working against the country's interest. Addressing the naming ceremony of Shri Ram College of Commerce's multipurpose stadium after late finance minister Arun Jaitley, Dhankhar said, "Some anti-national narratives are also present in the most sacred place of democracy today which is the Indian legislature. There are certain sections which give us worry. We must understand nationalism is not an option. It requires 100 per cent commitment." "Young people must neutralise these tendencies working against the internet of the country," he added. Dhankhar urged the corporates to subscribe and contribute to the economic nationalism of the country and help India emerge as a global leader. Praising the late BJP leader Jaitley, the Vice President said that he was loved and accepted by

Cong leader Suresh Pachouri, ex-MP Rajukhedi to join BJP ahead of LS polls

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Suresh Pachouri and ex-MP Gajendra Singh Rajukhedi will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday morning, party sources said. Pachouri, who was close to the Gandhi family, was Union minister of state for defence (defence production and supplies), and also served as a four-time Rajya Sabha member of the grand old party. Rajukhedi, a prominent tribal leader, was elected as an MP from Dhar (Scheduled Tribes) seat on the Congress ticket for three terms. In 1990, he was elected as a BJP MLA, but later joined the Congress, the sources said.

RS nomination coming on Women's Day was a double surprise: Sudha Murty

The announcement of her nomination to the Rajya Sabha was a double surprise as it came on Women's Day, philanthropist and author Sudha Murty said on Friday. The former Chairperson of Infosys Foundation, the philanthropy and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of Infosys, said that she has never sought the position and had "absolutely no idea" why the government chose to nominate her. "It came on Women's Day and that's a double surprise. I am very happy. I am grateful to our Prime Minister," Murty, who is currently on a visit to Thailand, told PTI over phone. On her role as a member of the Upper House, the wife of Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy said, "I have to see what are the things...what I can do. This is a new area to me. So, I have to first sit and study and then I will be able to do it." She said she was pleasantly surprised by the announcement.

Sudha Murty holds about Rs 5,600 crore worth of stocks in Infosys

Sudha Murty, who was on Friday nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President, holds a 0.83 per cent stake in IT bellwether Infosys which at current prices is worth close to Rs 5,600 crore. The 73-year-old philanthropist is the wife of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. She is the chairperson of the Murty Trust and has authored several books. According to the latest shareholding filed by Infosys with the BSE, she holds 3.45 crore shares of the company. At the last closing price of Rs 1,616.95 on the BSE, Murty's holding in Infosys is currently worth Rs 5,586.66 crore. Her husband Narayana Murthy owns 1.66 crore equity shares that are worth Rs 2,691 crore. Sudha Murty, who was awarded the Padma Shri in 2006 and Padma Bhushan in January this year, is also the mother-in-law of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. While Padma Shri is the country's fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan is the second-highest civilian honour. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning took to the

Sudha Murty nominated to Rajya Sabha, PM says 'testament to Nari Shakti'

Rajya Sabha updates: Sudha Murty is an Indian educator, author, philanthropist, and former chairperson of the Infosys Foundation

Sudha Murty nominated to RS, PM lauds her contribution in diverse fields

Philanthropist and author Sudha Murty was nominated to the Rajya Sabha on Friday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauding her contribution in diverse fields. Modi asserted in a post on X that her presence in the Upper House is a powerful testament to "Nari Shakti" (women power), exemplifying the strength and potential of women in shaping the nation's destiny. Wishing her a fruitful tenure, he said, "I am delighted that the President of India has nominated Sudha Murty Ji to the Rajya Sabha. Sudha Ji's contributions to diverse fields including social work, philanthropy and education have been immense and inspiring." Murty, wife of Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy, is also the chairperson of the Murty Trust and has authored several books. The 73-year-old, whose nomination comes on International Women's Day, was awarded the Padma Shri in 2006 and the Padma Bhushan in 2023.

Cong leaders discuss LS candidates from Rajasthan, CEC meet on March 7

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said that the winnable candidates were identified after the meeting

BJP chief Nadda quits RS seat from Himachal after election from Gujarat

BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Monday resigned as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Himachal Pradesh. Officials said Nadda resigned from his Himachal Pradesh seat after being elected as a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat. "...his resignation has been accepted by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha w.e.f. 4th March, 2024," a Parliament bulletin said.

NDA 4 short of majority Rajya Sabha after polls; What it means for BJP?

The BJP-led NDA is just four short seats of majority in the Rajya Sabha, the upper House of Parliament

Highlights of the day: Govt hikes windfall tax on petroleum crude

Latest news updates: Catch all the latest updates from around the world here

Clamour for CM Sukhu's resignation gains momentum post defeat in RS polls

According to sources, at least half of the Congress' 40 legislators conveyed their unhappiness with Sukhu for not heeding their concerns

Highlights of the day: No breakthrough on agri, fisheries subsidies at WTO

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Himachal Pradesh crisis highlights: Will keep fighting, says CM Sukhu

Himachal Pradesh highlights: Catch all the news highlights on the crisis surrounding Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's government here

BJP secures Himachal's lone Rajya Sabha seat with cross-voting edge

Congress candidate Abhishek Singhvi lost to the BJP's Harsh Mahajan

Highlights of the day: Discovery ends Paramount merger talks, says reports

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RS polls: Cong wins 3 seats in Karnataka; BJP bags lone seat in HP, 8 in UP

The ruling Congress in Karnataka won three seats and the BJP one in the Rajya Sabha elections in Karnataka on Tuesday. Those who were elected to the Upper House are Ajay Maken, G C Chandrasekhar and Syed Naseer Hussain, all belonging to the Congress, and Narayansa K Bhandage of the BJP. Five candidates were in the fray for the four seats in the elections, including JD(S) contestant D Kupendra Reddy. The elections were marred by cross-voting. While one of the BJP MLAs, S T Somashekar, voted for the Congress's Maken, the other, A Shivaram Hebbar, abstained.

Rajya Sabha polls highlights: BJP wins 8 seats out of 10 in UP

Rajya Sabha polls latest updates: Catch all the latest news on the Rajya Sabha elections here

RS polls: BJP accuses CM Sukhu of violating model code of conduct Shimla

He demanded that his vote should not be counted till a decision in this regard is taken by the election commission

Cong suffers jolt in Gujarat as its Rajya Sabha MP Naran Rathwa joins BJP

In a major blow to the Congress in Gujarat ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, its Rajya Sabha member and former Union minister Naran Rathwa joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with his son and a large number of supporters here on Tuesday. The tribal leader from Chhota Udepur in Gujarat, Rathwa's tenure as the Rajya Sabha member will end in April this year. He was elected to the Lok Sabha five times - first in 1989, then in 1991, 1996, 1998 and 2004. Rathwa's son Sangramsinh had unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections as a Congress candidate from Scheduled Tribe (ST)-reserved Chhota Udepur seat. He joined the BJP along with his father and a large number of supporters at a function. Rathwa was a Minister of State for Railways in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2004, and lost to BJP candidate Ramsinh Rathwa in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Gujarat BJP chief C R Paatil inducted Rathwa and others into the party by offering them saffron .