A day after the Congress made large strides in improving its vote bank in the Hindi belt — Assembly elections in three out of five States favour the Opposition — Parliament reconvenes to begin the Winter Session in earnest. The first day of the Winter Session passed uneventfully, with obituary references made for many Members who died recently, including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Here are the live updatesRAJYA SABHA | 12 NOON The House is adjourned till 2 p.m. as soon as it reconvenes. LOK SABHA | 12 NOON House reconvenes. Slogans form a deafening noise in the House, even as Speaker congratulates ISRO. Papers are laid on the table. Shouts of We want JPC can be heard. BJD Member Bhartruhari Mahtab rises to say that he, on behalf of his party opposes the introduction of the Dam Safety Bill, which is listed for today. Odisha has seven dams. The Bill is introduced. Slogans become louder. RAJYA SABHA | 11 A.M. Rajya Sabha convenes and adjourns till 12 noon almost immediately, after Congress leader Anand Sharma gives notice to suspend business to discuss the Rafale deal. LOK SABHA | 11 A.M. House reconvenes. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan reads out obituary references. Question Hour begins. The first question is on the Bharat Net Project. House is adjourned till noon as slogan shouting begins. Members began demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Rafale deal. RAJYA SABHA | LIST OF BUSINESS Tribute to George H.W. BushToday, an obituary reference will be made for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush. Bills amending the laws governing the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities, National Council for Teacher Education, and the right to education are listed for consideration and passing. LOK SABHA | LIST OF BUSINESS New Members to joinAfter the bypolls in Ballari and Mandya constituencies, V.S. Ugrappa from the Congress and L.R. Shivarame Gowda from the JD(S) will take their oaths of affirmation as Members today. The Speaker will also pay the House respects to former Members who have passed away — Mansoor Ali Khan, Puran Chandra, P. Manik Reddy, Gurudas Kamat, Mohan Jain, Shantaram Potdukhe, Kamla Kumari, N.D. Tiwari, Madan Lal Khurana, Narayan Swaroop Sharma and C.K. Jaffer Sharief. The Dam Safety Bill is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha.
|