Page 6 - Rajya Sabha

Delhi: 268th Session of Rajya Sabha scheduled to commence on July 21

The session is planned to run from July 21 to August 21, with the House set to adjourn on August 12 and reconvene on August 18 to facilitate Independence Day celebrations

Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya appointed as West Bengal BJP president

Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya was on Thursday officially declared the new president of its West Bengal unit, and he will lead the party into the 2026 assembly elections. Sixty-one-year-old Bhattacharya was elected unopposed, with no other candidate filing nomination for the post by the stipulated deadline of Wednesday afternoon. The formal announcement came during a felicitation ceremony at Science City here, in the presence of senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who handed over the certificate of election to Bhattacharya. Prasad was the national returning officer for the election of the West Bengal BJP president. "Only one nomination was submitted for the post of president of West Bengal and that is Samik Bhattacharya's. I congratulate him," Prasad said, handing him the certificate. Bhattacharya had submitted his nomination papers at the BJP's state headquarters in Salt Lake on Wednesday afternoon, accompanied by outgoing ...

RS Secretariat verifies 44 MPs' signatures to remove HC Judge Yadav

The Rajya Sabha secretariat has verified the signatures of 44 of the 55 MPs who had signed a notice to bring a motion for the removal of Allahabad High Court Judge Shekhar Yadav over his "hate speech" even as Kapil Sibal and nine others were yet to verify their signatures. Sibal, who has been vocal for early action on the notice, has claimed that he has not received any email from the Rajya Sabha secretariat, which confirmed having sent the same to his official email thrice during the past six months. He has questioned the need for verification of signatures and the delay in initiating the process in March when the notice was submitted on December 13, 2024. While 55 MPs have signed the notice for the removal of Justice Yadav, the signature of one of the MPs, Sarfaraz Ahmed, appears twice on the notice. The Rajya Sabha Secretariat is verifying how his signature appeared twice on the notice and whether they are forged. Ahmed, the JMM MP from Jharkhand, has already met Rajya Sabha ...

Two NDA candidates elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Assam

Two NDA candidates - BJP's Kanad Purkayastha and Asom Gana Parishad's Birendra Prasad Baishya, have been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Assam, an official said on Friday. The opposition parties did not field any candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections, he said. The last date for filing of nomination was Thursday. "BJP's Kanad Purkayastha and Asom Gana Parishad's Birendra Prasad Baishya have been declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha as there is no opposition candidate," the official said. The elections to the two Rajya Sabha seats were scheduled for June 19. Purkayastha will make his debut as a parliamentarian after winning the Rajya Sabha seat. He is the son of veteran BJP leader and former union minister Kabindra Purkayastha and hails from Silchar. Kanad Purkayastha is now the BJP's state unit secretary. Baishya, the veteran AGP leader and former union minister, will be a member of the Upper House of Parliament for the third time and has also served a term

Kamal Haasan, five others elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu

They received election certificates from the Returning Officer Subramani at the Chennai Secretariat

BJP names Kanad Purkayastha its candidate for Assam Rajya Sabha polls

The BJP on Saturday announced that the party's Assam state secretary Kanad Purkayastha will be its candidate for the Rajya Sabha election from the state. A release said the party's central election committee has approved the candidature of Purkayastha. A party leader from Barak valley, Purkayastha is the son of veteran BJP leader and former Union minister Kabindra Purkayastha. Elections for two Rajya Sabha seats in Assam are scheduled on June 19, with counting of votes to take place the same day. The BJP had earlier announced that it will field a candidate for one of the seats, leaving the other for its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). The two seats that are being vacated were held by BJP and AGP.

Parliament Monsoon session to begin July 21, first since Pahalgam attack

Monsoon Session from July 21 to August 12 set to address Operation Sindoor, border tensions, and an impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma

AIADMK defers RS seat allotment, DMDK to reveal poll ties in Jan 2026

Apparently perturbed over AIADMK's decision to defer the allocation of a Rajya Sabha seat to it to 2026, the DMDK said it would announce its poll ties ahead of the Assembly election next year. Stopping short of accusing the AIADMK of not honouring its commitment made before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth said the AIADMK had already allotted a seat each to Dr Anbumani Ramadoss (PMK) and G K Vasan (TMC) in the past and now it was the turn of her party to get a Rajya Sabha seat. Playing down DMDK's decision to make known its stand on alliance on January 9, 2026, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami told reporters in Coimbatore on June 1 that the ties between the AIADMK and DMDK were smooth and attempts to break them would not fructify. On June 1, AIADMK Deputy General Secretary K P Munusamy announced that DMDK remained part of the AIADMK-led alliance and a Rajya Sabha seat will be allocated to that party in 2026. On May 31, DMDK .

Veteran Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa dies at 89 after illness

Veteran Akali leader and former Union minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa died Wednesday evening following age-related health issues at a private hospital in Mohali. He was 89. He is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters. According to a statement by the hospital, Dhindsa was admitted on Tuesday in a critical condition. He was suffering from severe pneumonia and cardiac complications, compounded by age-related health issues. "Despite the best efforts of the multidisciplinary medical team, he passed away at approximately 5:05 PM today due to cardiac arrhythmia and cardiac arrest," it said. Dhindsa's son Parminder Singh Dhindsa was the finance minister in the erstwhile Akali government. Sukhdev Dhindsa became Shiromani Akali Dal Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur in 2004. He was the Union minister of sports, chemicals and fertilizers in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Dhindsa was a Rajya Sabha MP from 1998 to 2004 and from 2010 to 2022. The Akali stalwart was given Padma Bhushan in

Kamal Haasan set to enter Rajya Sabha, Manipur govt formation, mock drills to resume, Gaza, & more

BJP legislator from Manipur Thokchom Radheshyam Singh on Wednesday claimed that 44 MLAs are prepared to form a new government in the state. The statement came after Singh, along with nine other MLAs,

Cong MP Singhvi defends SC's Article 142 power after VP Dhankhar's remarks

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar had, on Thursday, called Article 142 a "nuclear missile against democratic forces that remains available to the judiciary 24x7"

Parliament Budget Session concludes, both Houses adjourned sine die

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said as many as 16 Bills were passed during the session and the House productivity was pegged at over 118 per cent

Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die, marking the end of budget session

Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, marking the end of the Budget Session that began on January 31. In his concluding remarks at the end of the 267th session of Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the House passed key legislations, including the Waqf Amendment Bill, and discussed several important issues during its sittings. "The productivity of this session stood at 119 per cent. On April 3, the Rajya Sabha began proceedings and etched its name in the annals of legislative history with an unprecedented sitting from 11 am on that day until 4.02 am the following day, ie, this day, the longest in its history," Dhankhar said. He added, "This would send a very great message to the people at large and enhance belief in this great institution." Dhankhar appreciated members for participating in the debates and discourses with enlightened inputs and varying opinion shades. "After a long gap, the house witnessed welcome wit, humour, sarcasm and repartee, apart from ...

Parliament highlights: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die amid ruckus over Waqf Bill

Parliament highlights: Catch all the latest news developments here

Rajya Sabha passes Waqf Bill 2025; Amit Shah hails it as a 'historic day'

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement came soon after the Rajya Sabha gave its approval to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, following its passage in the Lok Sabha on Thursday

Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 passed in Rajya Sabha: What's next for it?

Parliament approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, as Rajya Sabha passed it 128-95 after a 12-hour debate

'Chances that judiciary may strike down Waqf Amendment Bill 2025': Singhvi

The Parliament passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 in the early hours of Friday after a marathon and heated debate

Parliament Highlights: Waqf Bill not against Muslims, don't want to hurt sentiments, says Rijiju

Parliament news updates: Catch all the latest news developments here

Rajya Sabha witnesses marathon debate to pass Waqf Amendment Bill

Tabling the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Rijiju listed the amendments that the government has brought in the redrafted Bill

China takes up land, ally US impose tariffs: Rahul Gandhi slams govt in LS

Rahul Gandhi claimed that the recently announced US tariffs is going to 'completely devastate' the Indian economy, particularly sectors like the auto industry, pharmaceuticals and agriculture