Rajya Sabha adjourns sine die
New Delhi (PTI): Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, concluding a session that witnessed more chaos than legislative business, with Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar urging members to reflect and choose between meaningful debate and destructive disruption.
The House was adjourned sine die after adoption of a motion to nominate 12 members of Rajya Sabha to the joint committee of Parliament to examine the two bills on holding of simultaneous polls in the country.
In his concluding remarks, the Chairman said, "Our democratic legacy demands we rise above political differences and restore the sanctity of Parliamentary discourse".
He said the House effectively functioned for just 43 hours and 27 minutes with a productivity of merely 40.03 percent during the Winter Session that began on November 25.
Dhankhar said he was imparting the Valedictory Remarks taking note of the suggestion made after concurring with Leader of the House J P Nadda, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, and other leaders including N D Gupta, Tiruchi Siva and Jairam Ramesh.
"As we conclude this session coinciding with the 75th anniversary of our Constitution, we face a moment of serious reflection. While our celebration of Samvidhan Diwas in the historic Samvidhan Sadan was meant to reaffirm democratic values, our actions in this House tell a different story. The stark reality is troubling.
"This session's productivity stands at a mere 40.03 per cent with just 43 hours and 27 minutes of productive functioning. As Parliamentarians we are drawing severe criticism from the people of India and rightfully so. These persistent disruptions are steadily eroding public trust in our democratic institutions," Dhankhar said.
He said while the Upper House did pass the Oilfields Amendment Bill and the Boilers Bill of 2024 and had the statement by the Minister of External Affairs on the India-China relations, these achievements are overshadowed by "our failures".
"The growing trend of publicising notices through media before Parliamentary consideration and recourse to Rule 267 further undermine our institutional dignity," he noted.
"We stand at a critical crossroads. The 1.4 billion citizens of Bharat expect better from us. It is time to choose between meaningful debate and destructive disruption. Our democratic legacy demands we rise above political differences and restore the sanctity of Parliamentary discourse," he said.
"Let us return with renewed commitment to serve our nation with the dignity it deserves," the Chairman asserted before adjourning the House sine die.
Earlier, when the House met this morning, it witnessed protests by opposition members and was adjourned amid the din.
The Chairman also held a meeting with Leader of the House J P Nadda, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge besides the leaders of various opposition parties in a bid to end the impasse in the House.
When the House again met at 12 noon, the Chairman asked Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal to move a motion for nominating members of the Upper House to the joint committee of Parliament to examine the bills related to 'one nation, one election'.
The motion was adopted with a voice vote.
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Karnataka: GBA city corporation polls likely between June 14 and 24
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka State Election Commissioner G S Sangreshi on Friday said elections to the five city corporations under the GBA will be held anytime between June 14 and June 24.
He said the exact date for the polls will be announced after a week, asserting that the power to postpone the elections, as requested by GBA authorities, lies with the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court had directed the Karnataka government and the State Election Commission to conduct Bengaluru local body elections by June 30.
On Friday, the SEC held a consultation meeting with the GBA Chief Commissioner and commissioners of the five city corporations regarding the election schedule, as per the provisions of the GBA Act.
“During the meeting, I informed GBA officials that only the election date has to be fixed, as all other measures and formalities for conducting the polls have already been completed,” Sangreshi said.
“They requested the Commission to consider factors such as rains, exams, census work, SIR, and manpower shortages while fixing the date and sought additional time,” he added.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said, “I told them this meeting was not for seeking time. Elections to the five corporations under the GBA must be held before June 30, as directed by the Supreme Court, and a compliance report must be submitted to the court. I do not have the power to postpone the elections as requested.”
The Supreme Court has already given a “final opportunity,” and both the SEC and the government must comply with its directions, the State Election Commissioner said.
He asked GBA officials to suggest suitable dates between June 14 and June 24.
“While stating that they are ready for elections, the officials highlighted operational challenges, including manpower shortages. However, I have informed them that the elections will have to be held between June 14 and June 24. After a week, I will announce the final date,” he said.
Reiterating that he does not have the power to postpone the elections, Sangreshi said the authority rests with the Supreme Court, and elections must be conducted as scheduled.
“We have consulted the GBA as per the rules. It is up to them to suggest a date within the given window. If they need more time, they must approach the court. Our responsibility is to fix the date and complete the polls before June 30,” he said.
The matter regarding manpower and other concerns raised by GBA officials is already before the Supreme Court, and the State Election Commission has also filed a petition in this regard. The case is yet to be heard.
“Since the matter has not come up for hearing, the earlier order remains binding. Therefore, preparations are underway,” he added.
The tenure of the previous elected body under the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ended on September 10, 2020, and since then, a government-appointed administrator has been managing its day-to-day affairs.
Bengaluru was divided into five municipal corporations—Central, East, West, North, and South—under the Greater Bengaluru Authority in September 2025, replacing the BBMP.
Sangreshi had earlier said that elections to the five corporations would be conducted using ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines.
This follows the Congress government’s decision last September to recommend the use of ballot papers in all future panchayat and urban local body elections, citing concerns over declining public confidence in EVMs.
The state government subsequently enacted the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Act, 2026, paving the way for the use of ballot papers in local body elections.
