Parliament Monsoon Session: Speaker Birla approves merger of rebel Uddhav-led Sena MPs with Shinde Sena
Speaker Birla approves merger of rebel SS(UBT) with Shinde-led Shiv Sena; rebel TMC MPs to sit separately
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on 18 July gave his approval to the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and a separate seating in the House for the 20 rebel TMC lawmakers, who have joined a little- know party, NCPI.
With the merger of the six MPs, the strength of the Shiv Sena has gone up to 13 from seven, news agency PTI said.
The TMC rebel group of 20 MPs will sit separately, away from the parent party, the sources were quoted as saying in the PTI report. There is no clarity on the status of the rebel TMC MPs' demand to be recognised as part of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), the report said.
The development comes two days ahead of Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning Monday
The forcible removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar on Saturday, citing health concerns, is set to resonate during the all-party meeting convened by the government on Sunday ahead of the Monsoon session of Parliament.
This meeting, which will involve the floor leaders of all major parties, will discuss several pressing issues, including the alleged embezzlement of donations for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Wangchuk's removal from the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest site at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi by the city police will dominate the customary meet.
The alleged mishandling of donations at the Ram temple will also play a significant role in the proceedings. The Samajwadi Party has announced that it will obstruct House proceedings regarding this matter.
5 new bills
Additionally, the government has announced five new bills that will be introduced in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha during the upcoming Monsoon Session. These include:
-Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026: This bill amends the 1971 law to impose penalties for intentional disruptions during the singing of "Vande Mataram."
-Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026: This introduces stricter regulations for delayed registrations.
-Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026: Replaces an ordinance to formalise tax exemptions for foreign investors in government securities.
-Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026: Proposes raising the strength of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38 judges, including the CJI.
-Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026: Aims to restructure and strengthen the MSME sector. [1, 2, 6, 7, 8]
Important pending and deferred legislation
-Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026: Listed for passage after being stalled in the previous session.
-Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan Bill, 2025: Aims to unify higher education regulators, currently pending committee review. The
-130th Constitutional Amendment Bill: This proposal regarding the suspension of jailed officials was omitted from the agenda.
(With agency inputs)
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