Page 2 - Rajya Sabha Elections

Cross-voting helps BJP gain RS seats; NDA now four short of majority mark

BJP netted two extra seats from cross-voting in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh

Himachal CM Sukhu won't accept 'younger brother' Vikramaditya's resignation

Vikramaditya Singh resigned from the cabinet, alleging that CM Sukhu had "humiliated" the MLAs and disrespected his father. His resignation followed after the BJP won the Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal

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

Himachal crisis: Who are 6 Congress MLAs who voted for BJP during RS polls

BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan won the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal, despite the BJP having only 25 MLAs in the hill state against Congress' 40 legislators

Pro-Pak slogan allegations: K'taka CM says serious punishment if found true

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said serious action would be taken if it's found true that a pro-Pakistan slogan was raised after the Rajya Sabha election results were declared. "It is not only an allegation by the BJP, it is also an allegation by the media," he said, referring to the charge that "Pakistan zindabad" slogan was heard after one of the Congress candidates, Syed Naseer Hussain, was declared the winner at "Vidhana Soudha" on Tuesday. "We have sent the voice report to the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory). When the report comes, if it's true that somebody has made a slogan that 'Pakistan zindabad', such person will be punished seriously," the chief minister said. If somebody has raised such a slogan, there is no question of sparing them. "If it is true, we will take strict action, serious action," he said.

BJP to demand floor test in Himachal Pradesh amidst Rajya Sabha win

Congress faces setback in Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka due to cross-voting within the party

After RS poll victory in UP, BJP says will win all 80 seats in LS elections

Buoyed by the victory of its all eight candidates in the Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP on Tuesday exuded confidence that it will win all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the elections due in April-May. Speaking to PTI Video, Sudhanshu Trivedi, one of the victorious candidates of the BJP, said, "It is a matter of immense happiness that all the eight candidates of the BJP have won. Definitely, this is an indication of the future. It will be 80 out of 80 (Lok Sabha seats) in UP, and 400-plus for NDA (National Democratic Alliance) nationally." To a question on some SP MLAs siding with the BJP, he said, "The SP should itself think about why such a situation has emerged." He said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav talks about "PDA" -- "pichhda" (backward classes), Dalit and "alpsankhyak" minorities -- but fielded "FDA" candidates -- filmstar, dynast and "afsar" (bureaucrat). Another victorious candidate of the BJP, former Union minister R P N Singh, also exuded ...

Cong unable to keep its flock together, is disintegrating, says Amit Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that disintegration is afflicting the Congress and the opposition bloc INDIA as they are unable to keep their flock together. He made the remarks in an interview at the News9 Global Summit soon after the BJP inflicted a stunning loss on the Congress in Himachal Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha election due to cross-voting by several MLAs of the state's governing party. Shah also underlined Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's commitment to "one nation one election" and said the committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind will soon submit its report on the issue. The home minister is a member of the committee. Asked about the roll-out of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand and whether it will be implemented across the country, he called it a big social reform but added a comprehensive discussion should take place before its nationwide implementation. Social, judicial and constitutional scrutiny of the measure in the hilly state

NCP leader Praful Patel resigns from RS after re-election for new term

Praful Patel, a former Union Minister, after parting ways with Sharad Pawar had joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP

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

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

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

3rd seat was loyalty test; feel ditched: Akhilesh Yadav after RS polling

Seven MLAs from Samajwadi Party (SP) cross-voted for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh

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 .

Polling ends for lone RS seat from Himachal with last vote from MLA Babloo

Polling for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh, which began at 9 am on Tuesday, ended with Congress MLA from Chintpurni Sudershan Babloo casting the last vote. The polling was brisk and all 68 members have voted. Independent MLA from Hamipur Ashish was the first to cast his vote. Congress MLA Babloo was brought to the Assembly in a helicopter as he was unwell. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu after casting his vote said the MLAs have voted as per the ideology of the party. "We have 40 MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha and unless MLAs are bought off, we will get all the votes," he said. Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur had earlier said that it was the democratic right of the MLAs to vote and it was not necessary that the candidate be elected unopposed. "We have fielded the candidate gauging the situation and hope that all MLAs would exercise their conscious vote," he added. The BJP has fielded Harsh Mahajan against Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Mahaja

Samajwadi Party MLA resigns as chief whip amid Rajya Sabha elections

Manoj Kumar Pandey's resignation comes a day after Pandey and 7 other SP MLAs skipped a party meeting convened by SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav

No cross-voting will be done: BJP hopeful to win Himachal Pradesh RS polls

Voting for 56 Rajya Sabha seats from 15 states, which are falling vacant in April, will be held today

RS polls: Those looking for profit will leave, says SP chief Akhilesh Yadav

Amid fears of cross-voting by Samajwadi Party MLAs in the Rajya Sabha polls on Tuesday, party chief Akhilesh Yadav said those who are looking for "profit" in the situation will leave. Speaking to reporters ahead of casting his votes, Yadav slammed the BJP saying it will adopt all means to win elections. Asked about the absence of some party MLAs from a party meeting on the polls called on Monday, Yadav said, "Those who wanted to profit from the situation will go. Those who were promised will go." "Those who put spikes in someone else' path or dig holes for others themselves fall," Yadav said in a swipe at the BJP. "You have seen what happened in Chandigarh in front of CCTV cameras. I thank the Supreme Court which saved the Constitution. BJP can adopt all tricks to win elections. It must have given assurance (to some MLAs) of some profit... BJP will do anything to win," he said. As many as eight SP MLAs did not attend a meeting called by the Yadav on Monday. A senior SP leader, ..

Cong alleges BJP planning for horse trading in HP as polls for RS underway

On Monday, the BJP nominee complained to the Chief Election Commissioner saying that the Congress has issued a three-line whip to its MLAs for the polls, which he said was unethical