BJP set to increase its tally in Rajya Sabha from Maha; Polls on March 23

The ruling BJP is set to increase its tally from Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha and also in the state Legislative Council, given its improved strength in the 288-member Legislative Assembly post the 2014 polls.

Elections will be held on March 23 for various seats of the Rajya Sabha, including six from Maharashtra, falling vacant on April 2.

At present, the opposition Congress and the NCP hold two seats each, while the Shiv Sena and the BJP have apiece each of these six seats of the Upper House of Parliament.
The BJP, with its tally of 122 in the Assembly, is poised to get three Rajya Sabha seats now, while the Sena, the Congress and the NCP will get one each.

Meanwhile, the biennial elections to 21 Legislative Council seats, out of the total 78, are due later this year.

Maldives Army occupies Parliament to block no-trust vote

The Maldives military locked down the nations Parliament on Tuesday in what opposition lawmakers said was an attempt to block a motion to impeach the Speaker of the House.

Imthiyaz Fahmy, of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), tweeted a video of what he said were security forces in plain clothes blocking representatives from entering the chamber, the Guardian reported.

Another lawmaker from the MDP, Eva Abdulla, said MPs were eventually allowed in but said that Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed was also surrounded by soldiers.

A close ally of President Abdulla Yameen, Mohamed opened the session and then immediately closed it before MPs were able to vote on the no-confidence motion, she said.

"The session was over in five minutes," she said by phone. Lawmakers said they raised the motion against the Speaker after he repeatedly refused parliamentary requests to scrutinise the government.
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