News Analysis India

Tag: Lok Sabha

  • JP Nadda: BJP chief and Union Minister JP Nadda to be Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha

    BJP President and Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda will now also handle the important role of Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha. He succeeds Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who has now moved to the Lok Sabha as a representative of Mumbai North constituency.

    The decision to appoint Nadda, 63, as Leader of the House was expected since the Lok Sabha election results came out and Goyal quit his membership of the Upper House on June 10. Among the BJP members in the House, he qualifies on the basis of his experience and seniority.

    Nadda is into this third term in the Rajya Sabha. He entered the Upper House for the first time on April 3, 2012 from his home state Himachal Pradesh and was given a second term in 2018, again from HP. His current term began in April, 2024 when he was elected from Gujarat, putting at rest speculations that he may contest the Lok Sabha polls.Nadda is on extension as BJP chief, having completed his term last year. With his appointment as Leader of the House and responsibilities as Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers, there is a likelihood of BJP choosing an acting party chief before a full-time President is elected in January 2025. The forthcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand later this year are a formidable challenge for the BJP as the Opposition has emerged stronger in these states after the Lok Sabha polls.

    It is not clear if Nadda will be asked to continue till January as BJP Chief or be replaced. He had himself stepped into the role of Working President of BJP in June, 2019 when Amit Shah quit the post to become Home Minister. Later he was duly elected as BJP Chief in January 2020.

    Nadda has vast political experience and has risen through the ranks in the BJP. Hailing from Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh, the veteran leader served as a minister in the BJP government in the state in different portfolios- Health, Forest, Parliamentary Affairs and so on. He has also worked as national general secretary of the BJP.This is Nadda’s second stint in the union Health ministry. He held this portfolio from November 2014 to May 2019 in the first Narendra Modi government.As Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, Nadda will play a crucial role in the NDA 3.0 government where the ruling coalition has a thin majority with 293 seats in the Lok Sabha. In the Upper House, BJP has 90 members in a House of 231. BJD and YSRCP, parties which used to extend issue-based support to BJP, have now turned against it in the changed political equations. The Opposition will make the going tough for the government in both Houses. The demand for sending Bills to the parliamentary committees for scrutiny and for holding discussions on current issues plaguing the country are set to increase.

    Nadda will have his hands full as Leader of the House while also juggling two important ministerial portfolios as well as the role of BJP Chief till the party finds a replacement.

  • lok sabha: Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, and Shivraj Singh Chauhan take oath as Lok Sabha members – The Economic Times Video

    As the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha commenced on Monday, various prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, took oaths as Members of Parliament. Watch.

    Follow @EconomicTimes

  • Parliament session: Congress upset over pro-tem speaker election, will not assist during oath-taking of MPs

    After seventh-term BJP MP Bhratruhari Mehtab was appointed as pro-tem Speaker, instead of Congress leader K Suresh, who is an eighth-term MP, the MPs of the India bloc have decided not to sit on the speaker’s chair to assist the pro-tem Speaker during the oath-taking ceremony of MPs, sources said.

    According to the sources, Congress and India Bloc parties are upset with the fact that tradition has been broken as Mehtab was made the Protem Speaker instead of the 8-time Congress MP K Suresh.

    The Congress has reacted sharply to the central government’s decision to appoint Mahtab as Pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha over senior-most Dalit MP Kodikkunnil Suresh of Congress, saying that the appointment by the BJP deviates from the traditional practice of appointing the senior member.Congress leader K Suresh said that there is an eighth-term MP in the House, but a seventh-term MP has been appointed as pro-tem Speaker.

    “We are claiming that an eighth-term MP should be the pro-tem Speaker…They have done wrong, and now the whole country is criticising the decision of the BJP government,” K Suresh said.

    Congress MP Hibi Eden said that the NDA government has violated all the traditions and customs.”There are certain customs related to the Parliament of India, and it is always the senior-most member, irrespective of the party, who is given the opportunity to become the pro-tem speaker. It is merely a matter of two days, but it is the respect given to the member, whichever party he/she is from. Unfortunately, a Dalit member, who is an 8-time MP from Kerala has been denied the right to become the pro-tem speaker. This shows the attitude of the NDA government towards the Dalit and the oppressed community of this country. They have violated all the traditions and customs… Even though this session is hardly for 8 days, it should have been in consensus with the opposition because we are representing almost 45 per cent of the country,” he said.The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will witness the oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The first session is expected to be stormy as the opposition is likely to corner the BJP-led NDA government on the election of the Speaker on June 26, discussions regarding allegations of paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC-NET, and a row over the appointment of the pro-tem Speaker.

    President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath to Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Mahtab will then call upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Leader of the Lok Sabha, to take oath as a member of the House.

    On June 26, the Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament.

    This is the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha after the general elections, which saw the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secure 293 seats and the INDIA bloc win 234, with the Congress holding 99 of them.

    Meanwhile, the Newly Elected Congress MPs meeting is called at 10 am at the CPP office in Parliament today.

    After the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance examination National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate 2024 (NEET-UG), Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi targeted the BJP and said that they stand with the students.

    Meanwhile, BJP MP Mahtab, who has been appointed as the pro-tem Speaker, will administer the oath to newly elected members and oversee the proceedings of the House.

    President Murmu also appointed Suresh Kodikunnil, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, Radha Mohan Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Sudip Bandyopadhyay to assist the Speaker Protem in oath taking of the newly-elected members.

    The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will be held from June 24 and conclude on July 3 for oath/affirmation of newly elected Members. The 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will also commence on June 27 and conclude on July 3.

    Moreover, the Samajwadi Party Parliamentary meeting is to be held on Monday in Delhi. The meeting will be chaired by party National President Akhilesh Yadav.

    The last session of the 17th Lok Sabha (Budget session) was held between January 31 and February 10, 2024.

  • Rae Bareli: Rahul Gandhi pens emotional letter to people of Wayanad, says their unconditional love protected him

    Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday wrote an emotional letter to the people of Wayanad, the constituency that he is giving up to represent Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha, and said when he faced abuse on a daily basis, their unconditional love protected him. Rahul had won both from Wayanad and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies and must vacate one of the seats within 14 days of the Lok Sabha results, which came out on June 4.

    He is giving up Wayanad and his sister and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi is set to contest from there in the ensuing bypoll.

    “I was a stranger to you and yet you believed in me. You embraced me with unbridled love and affection. It didn’t matter which political formation you supported, it didn’t matter which community you were from or which religion you believed in or which language you spoke,” Rahul said. “When I faced abuse day after day, your unconditional love protected me. You were my refuge, my home and my family. I never felt for even a moment that you doubted me,” he said.

    The Congress leader said his sister Priyanka Gandhi will be representing Wayanad if the people give her an opportunity and expressed confidence that she will do an excellent job at being their MP.

    After a leadership meeting in New Delhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had on June 17 said that Rahul will keep the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh and vacate the Wayanad seat from where his sister Priyanka will contest. In his letter written on Sunday, Rahul also said that he cannot forget the “bravery, beauty and confidence” with which young girls translate his speeches in front of thousands of people.

    “I do not know how to thank you for what you have done for me. For the love and protection you gave me when I needed it most. You are part of my family and I will always be there for each and every one of you,” he said.

  • Congress to decide on LoP in Lok Sabha: Sharad Pawar

    NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said the Congress will decide on the appointment on the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha as it has maximum seats among the INDIA bloc parties in the Lower House of Parliament. Asked if efforts will be made to have the Lok Sabha’s deputy speaker from the opposition, Pawar claimed this “rule” was not followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his last government.

    “A discussion will take place on that point, but I do not think any fruitful outcome will be there from it,” he said.

    Pawar was speaking to reporters at Baramati in Maharashtra’s Pune district. The BJP won 240 seats in the recently held polls to the 543-member Lok Sabha and formed government with its partners in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

    Among the opposition INDIA bloc constituents, the Congress bagged the highest 99 seats.

    Asked about the appointment of the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Pawar said, “Earlier, we had agreed that the position would go to the party with the highest seats. Today, the Congress has the maximum seats (among opposition parties) in the Lok Sabha, so they will decide who should hold the position.” “After the Congress decides, it will need the consent of our (INDIA) bloc,” he said. On the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) success in the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra, Pawar claimed people have lost confidence in PM Modi and that “Modi’s guarantee” turned out to be fake.

    “The people of the state came to a conclusion that the promises he made in the last five years were not kept,” he said.

    The MVA, which comprises the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) of Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP), bagged 30 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

    The ruling Mahayuti, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the NCP headed by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, got 17 seats.

  • “Right political decision”: Congress’ Pramod Tiwari lauds Rahul Gandhi’s decision to retain Rae Bareli seat

    Congress leader Pramod Tiwari lauded Rahul Gandhi’s decision to retain the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh and called it the “right political decision.”

    Tiwari also thanked the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi for respecting the mandate of Uttar Pradesh.

    “I want to thank the national leadership of Congress and Rahul Gandhi. He (Rahul Gandhi) has taken the right political decision. Apart from this, he has also respected the mandate of Uttar Pradesh which gave 43 out of 80 seats to the INDIA alliance,” the senior Congress leader told ANI.”Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will win from Wayanad by 5 lakh votes,” he added.

    Meanwhile, Congress workers burst crackers and celebrated in Rae Bareli as Rahul Gandhi decided to retain the Lok Sabha seat.

    « Back to recommendation stories

    Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced Priyanka Gandhi’s candidature from Wayanad at a special press conference on Monday. If Priyanka Gandhi wins from Wayanad, three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family will be in Parliament – Sonia Gandhi in Rajya Sabha and Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.Priyanka Gandhi said on Monday that she will contest the bypoll from Wayanad but her decades-old association with Amethi and Rae Bareli will continue.”I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad and I will not let them feel his (Rahul Gandhi’s) absence. I will work hard and I will try my best to make everyone happy and be a good representative. I have a very old relationship with Rae Bareli and Amethi and it cannot be broken. I will also help my brother in Rae Bareli. We will both be present in Rae Bareli and Wayanad,” Priyanka Gandhi said at the special press conference.

    The bye-election in the seat was necessitated after Rahul Gandhi decided to retain Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli seat, which he won along with Wayanad in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.

  • Vice President Dhankar to inaugurate Prerna Sthal in Parliament House Complex today

    Vice President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha will inaugurate the newly constructed Prerna Sthal in the presence of the Speaker of Lok Sabha, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs on Sunday evening.

    According to an official press release, all Members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have also been invited to the programme.

    The statues of great leaders and freedom fighters are installed inside the Parliament House Complex. These great Indians made significant contributions in the history of India, cultural renaissance and the freedom struggle. These statues were located at different places in the complex, which made it difficult for visitors to properly see them.Therefore, with the aim of installing these statues in one place inside the Parliament House Complex, the Prerna Sthal has been constructed so that dignitaries and other visitors coming to the Parliament House Complex could conveniently see and pay tributes at these statues at one place.

    An action plan has also been made to make the life stories and messages of these great Indians available to visitors through new technology so that they could get inspiration from them, the press release said.

    It may be recalled that even before this, during the construction work of the new Parliament Building, the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Motilal Nehru and Chaudhary Devi Lal were shifted to other places in the complex.Lawns and gardens have been laid around the statues at Prerna Sthal. Here, dignitaries and visitors will be able to easily pay their tributes to them and also take inspiration from their lives through QR codes.After the unveiling of the Shilapatt (headstone) during the inauguration programme, dignitaries will offer floral tributes to the statues.

  • 18th Lok Sabha’s First Session To Begin From June 24 |

    The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will be held from June 24 and conclude on July 3for oath/affirmation of newly elected Members, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju said on Wednesday. The 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will also commence on June 27 and conclude on July 3, the minister said. “First Session of 18th Lok Sabha is being summoned from 24.6.24 to 3.7.24 for oath/affirmation of newly elected Members, Election of Speaker, President’s Address and discussion thereon. 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will commence on 27.6.24 and conclude on 3.7.24.”

    First Session of 18th Lok Sabha is being summoned from 24.6.24 to 3.7.24 for oath/affirmation of newly elected Members, Election of Speaker, President’s Address and discussion thereon. 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will commence on 27.6.24 and conclude on 3.7.24. https://t.co/8OCbfg4CT1


    — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) June 12, 2024

    President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on June 27. The last session of the 17th Lok Sabha (Budget session) was held between January 31 and February 10, 2024. Lok Sabha had 274 sittings in which 202 Bills were introduced and 222 bills were passed. Rajya Sabha had 271 sittings, in which 31 Bills were introduced and 220 bills were passed. In total 221 Bills were passed by both the Houses and became Acts, during the term of the 17th Lok Sabha.

    During the 17th Lok Sabha one of the most important business transacted was the abrogation of certain provisions from Article 370 and Presidential Orders thereunder for ensuring equal opportunities to all sections of Society in Jammu & Kashmir particularly with the restoration of applicability of the provisions of the Constitution of India and all socio-economic legislations thereby ensuring rule of law and equity. Further for ensuring better administration and for curbing terrorism, the State of Jammu & Kashmir was reorganized with the formation of two Union Territories – Jammu &Kashmir and Ladakh.

    Also, three landmark Bills relating to the criminal justice system to ensure victim-centric justice namely the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 replacing the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 were passed by both the Houses of Parliament.

  • NDA starts govt formation; Nitish, Tejashwi share flight: Key highlights from day after Lok Sabha election results

    Government formation preparations commenced on Wednesday, as the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) unanimously elected Narendra Modi as its leader. Concurrently, the opposition INDIA bloc indicated its intention to take necessary actions to reflect the people’s desire for a change in governance. Separate meetings were held by both ruling and opposition alliances at the Prime Minister’s residence and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence, respectively, in the evening. These meetings followed the clear majority secured by the BJP-led NDA in the recent election results.Clear majority secured by NDA, INDIA bloc’s notable performanceThe BJP won 240 Lok Sabha seats, contributing to the NDA’s total of 293 seats. This tally comfortably surpasses the majority mark of 272 in the 543-member House, paving the way for Modi to assume office for a third consecutive term—an unprecedented achievement for any ruling alliance since 1962. Similarly, the opposition INDIA bloc is energised by its notable performance, having secured 234 seats. Nitish, Tejashwi on same flight, spark speculationAllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther States

    /etelection_include.cms?msid=67942746

    Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar and former Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav of RJD were spotted on the same flight from Patna to Delhi on Wednesday, heading to their respective NDA and INDIA bloc meetings. Their presence together on the flight, with Nitish Kumar greeting his former deputy seated behind him, sparked speculation about potential shifts in political alliances. Images of the encounter circulated widely on social media, leading to discussions about Nitish possibly rejoining the INDIA bloc, which he helped form before leaving the JD(U)-RJD-Congress coalition earlier this year to rejoin the BJP-led NDA. While spokespeople for both parties dismissed the encounter as a coincidence, Tejashwi hinted at future developments, urging patience and suggesting that observers wait and see how things unfold.NDA meeting on June 5, 2024Setting the tone for his third straight term as the head of a coalition government, Prime Minister Modi chaired a meeting of the leaders of NDA parties who unanimously elected him as its leader.”Met our valued NDA partners. Ours is an alliance that will further national progress and fulfil regional aspirations. We will serve the 140 crore people of India and work towards building a Viksit Bharat,” Prime Minister Modi said on X after the meeting. At the NDA meeting at PM’s residence, TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, LJP(R) leader Chirag Paswan, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, Jana Sena’s Pawan Kalyan, AGP’s Atul Bora and NCP’s Praful Patel were among the 21 leaders from 16 parties present. The meeting was also attended by BJP’s Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and J P Nadda.

    Asked by a reporter if he is in the NDA, Naidu shot back,”We contested the elections together. Why do you doubt.”

    NDA MPs to formally elect Modi as leader on June 7The NDA MPs will meet on June 7 to formally elect Modi as their leader and the alliance leaders will then meet the President of India to submit their letters of support, HAM (Secular) leader and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said after attending the meeting.

    Modi’s oath ceremony The new government may be sworn in over the weekend, sources said, adding that there is a view to wrap up the formalities quickly to not allow any mood of uncertainty to build up, something a buoyant opposition may push.

    INDIA bloc in “wait and watch” modeWith the numbers stacked in favour of the ruling NDA, the INDIA bloc indicated a “wait and watch” approach after its old allies Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu, who are now in the NDA, did not reciprocate to overtures and threw their weight behind Modi.

    After nearly two-hour deliberations with other INDIA bloc parties, Kharge said the opposition leaders resolved to continue their fight against the “fascist rule of the BJP led by Modi” even as they thanked the people for their overwhelming support to the bloc.

    “We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP’s government,” Kharge said while reading out a statement adopted by all the alliance constituents after the deliberations at his residence.

    He said the decision has been taken by all constituents of the INDIA bloc in one voice.

    The joint statement indicated that the alliance is keeping its options open while choosing not to stake a claim at government formation for now.

    The Congress president had convened the meeting to discuss the political situation and the election results, explore any possibility of government formation and whether to reach out to their old partners Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu.

    Kharge said that the opposition would continue to work together and would definitely stand by the promises made to the people and keep them.

    “The constituents of the INDIA bloc thank the people of India for their overwhelming support. The people’s mandate has been a befitting reply to the BJP and their politics of hate, corruption and deprivation,” Kharge said.

    “This is a mandate in defence of the Constitution of India, and against price rise, unemployment and crony capitalism and also to save democracy,” Kharge added while announcing the decision of the alliance partners.

    In his opening remarks, Kharge said the alliance welcomes all parties that share its fundamental commitment to the values enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution and to its many provisions for economic, social and political justice.

    Kharge, flanked by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP (SCP) president Sharad Pawar, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and other leaders including Sharad Pawar, Sitaram Yechury, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Champai Soren, Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh, D Raja and Sanjay Raut, said the grouping will continue to fight against the “fascist rule” of the BJP.

    “The people’s mandate has given a befitting reply to the BJP and their politics of hate, corruption and deprivation. This is a political and moral defeat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Kharge said.

    A resolution was passed at the NDA meeting which said the alliance government will continue working to lift people’s living standards for the country’s all-round development while conserving its heritage.

    “We are all proud that the NDA fought the 2024 Lok Sabha polls unitedly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and won. We all NDA leaders unanimously elect Narendra Modi as our leader,” it added.

    NDA resolves to continue development agenda under Modi’s leadershipThe resolution also said that people have seen the country being developed in every sector in the last 10 years due to the pro-people policies of the NDA government under Modi.

    Janata Dal (United) leader Sanjay Jha, who was present in the meeting, said the formalities related to the formation of the government at the Centre under Modi are expected to be over soon.

    However, it will be a different act for him this time as the BJP has fallen well short of the majority and depends on allies for the government-formation after enjoying a comfortable majority on its own in the previous two terms of his government.

    Hosting the meeting, the BJP presented a picture of collective partnership with its allies with Naidu, Kumar and Shinde seated to the left of Modi while Nadda, Singh and Shah flanked the prime minister on his right.

    In terms of their parties’ strength, Naidu, Kumar and Shinde are the three biggest NDA constituents in that order after the BJP.

    The parties of Naidu and Kumar, who together command the support of 28 MPs, have rubbished speculation on their future moves.

    Naidu has reiterated his support to the BJP, a view echoed by JD(U)’s Jha as well.

    All leaders congratulated the PM for his leadership and the strides our nation has made under him. They appreciated the PM’s hard work and efforts in nation-building, he said.

    Modi hails historic NDA mandateDuring the meeting, Modi emphasised the significance of the historic mandate for the NDA’s third consecutive government, highlighting that such a mandate hadn’t been seen in the country for over 60 years. His allies commended Modi for his vision of “Viksit Bharat” and affirmed their partnership in this endeavour. Additionally, they praised his efforts in enhancing India’s global stature and tackling poverty, expressing their commitment to sustaining these initiatives.

    Inputs from PTI

  • Exit poll predictions: ‘People ready for new Independence Movement…’, Akhilesh Yadav attacks BJP – The Economic Times Video

    Lucknow (UP): Former UP Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party Chief, Akhilesh Yadav claimed that people are ready to start a new movement of Independence against BJP. He further said that the public is in the “Do or Die” mode of Mahatma Gandhi. He said, “The results of the elections were distorted by some corrupt media persons and officers. The corrupt policies of the BJP are bad for the future of India. The public is in the ‘Do or Die’ mode of Mahatma Gandhi and is ready to start a new independence movement. The public is ready to sacrifice like freedom fighters. The youth is saying ‘Mera Rang De Basanti Chola’.”