After a debate lasting over seven hours, the Gujarat assembly on Tuesday passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, with the ruling party, the BJP, marking it as a landmark reform to promote equality. However, the Congress party strongly opposed the bill, calling it an "anti-Muslim" and also violating fundamental rights. The bill, which passed with a majority voice vote, proposes a common legal framework governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships irrespective of religion. The opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not approve the bill in the assembly and demanded it be sent to the select committee, according to a report by the PTI. The bill was tabled by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, days after a state-appointed panel submitted its final report on the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). After the passage of the bill, Gujarat became the second state of India after Uttarakhand to pass the UCC. Uttarakhand passed the UCC Bill in February 2024.<h3>What does the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill say</h3>The proposed legislation, titled the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code, 2026, is intended to apply across the entire state, including to residents of Gujarat living outside its geographical boundaries. However, the bill specifies that it will not cover members of Scheduled Tribes (ST) and certain communities whose customary practices are safeguarded by the Constitution. According to its “Objects and Reasons” section, the bill seeks to establish a uniform legal framework. It includes provisions for the registration of live-in relationships and their dissolution through a formal declaration. The draft law also outlaws bigamy, meaning an individual cannot marry again while their spouse is still alive, and clarifies that a marriage will be recognised as valid only if neither party has a living spouse at the time.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/-illegal-politically-motivated-congress-asked-to-vacate-iconic-24-akbar-road-office-occupied-since-1978-by-march-28-1774419539835">'Illegal, politically motivated': Congress asked to vacate iconic 24 Akbar Road office occupied since 1978 by March 28</a>

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, which passed with a majority voice vote, proposes a common legal framework governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships irrespective of religion.

After a debate lasting over seven hours, the Gujarat assembly on Tuesday passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, with the ruling party, the BJP, marking it as a landmark reform to promote equality. However, the Congress party strongly opposed the bill, calling it an "anti-Muslim" and also violating fundamental rights. The bill, which passed with a majority voice vote, proposes a common legal framework governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships irrespective of religion. The opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not approve the bill in the assembly and demanded it be sent to the select committee, according to a report by the PTI. The bill was tabled by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, days after a state-appointed panel submitted its final report on the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). After the passage of the bill, Gujarat became the second state of India after Uttarakhand to pass the UCC. Uttarakhand passed the UCC Bill in February 2024. What does the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill say The proposed legislation, titled the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code, 2026, is intended to apply across the entire state, including to residents of Gujarat living outside its geographical boundaries. However, the bill specifies that it will not cover members of Scheduled Tribes (ST) and certain communities whose customary practices are safeguarded by the Constitution. According to its “Objects and Reasons” section, the bill seeks to establish a uniform legal framework. It includes provisions for the registration of live-in relationships and their dissolution through a formal declaration. The draft law also outlaws bigamy, meaning an individual cannot marry again while their spouse is still alive, and clarifies that a marriage will be recognised as valid only if neither party has a living spouse at the time. Also read: 'Illegal, politically motivated': Congress asked to vacate iconic 24 Akbar Road office occupied since 1978 by March 28

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, which passed with a majority voice vote, proposes a common legal framework governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships irrespective of religion.

Gujarat passes UCC Bill after 7-hour debate, becomes second state after Uttarakhand

Chaos prevailed in Gujarat Assembly as Congress and BJP came close to blows on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The trouble began when Congress lawmakers rushed to the well of the house as their MLA from Jamnagar Vikram Madam was not allowed to raise a &#39;&#39;point of order&#39;&#39;. Madam had been trying to raise a point of order since Wednesday morning but was not allowed to do so. Meanwhile, another Congress MLA from Danilimda Shailesh Parmar was asked to raise the point of order.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Vikram Madam tried to raise a question but was repeatedly shouted down. When he allegedly tried to pull out a mic, he was forced out by marshals.

A fierce argument broke out between another Congress lawmaker, Pratap Dudhat, and BJP legislator Jagdish Panchal.

Within minutes, Dudat uprooted a mic and hurled it at Panchal.

A large number of lawmakers gathered at the well of the house as rivals jostled each other before the Speaker adjourned the proceedings.

The Congress legislator Vikram Madam has been suspended for the entire session.

Earlier this week, two Congress members were expelled from the Telangana Assembly for disrupting the Governor&#39;s speech. One of them, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, flung a pair of headphones and hit an official in the eye.

The Congress legislator Vikram Madam has been suspended for the entire session.

Chaos prevailed in Gujarat Assembly as Congress and BJP came close to blows on Wednesday. The trouble began when Congress lawmakers rushed to the well of the house as their MLA from Jamnagar Vikram Madam was not allowed to raise a ''point of order''. Madam had been trying to raise a point of order since Wednesday morning but was not allowed to do so. Meanwhile, another Congress MLA from Danilimda Shailesh Parmar was asked to raise the point of order. Meanwhile, Vikram Madam tried to raise a question but was repeatedly shouted down. When he allegedly tried to pull out a mic, he was forced out by marshals. A fierce argument broke out between another Congress lawmaker, Pratap Dudhat, and BJP legislator Jagdish Panchal. Within minutes, Dudat uprooted a mic and hurled it at Panchal. A large number of lawmakers gathered at the well of the house as rivals jostled each other before the Speaker adjourned the proceedings. The Congress legislator Vikram Madam has been suspended for the entire session. Earlier this week, two Congress members were expelled from the Telangana Assembly for disrupting the Governor's speech. One of them, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, flung a pair of headphones and hit an official in the eye.

Chaos in Gujarat assembly as BJP, Congress lawmakers come to blows

The newly elected 182 legislators of the 14th Gujarat assembly took oath as members of the house today.&nbsp;

The oath-taking ceremony was conducted at a makeshift venue in the Sabarmati Hall of Swarnim Sankul-I building in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.&nbsp;

The oath&nbsp;of office and secrecy was administered by&nbsp;pro-tem speaker Nimaben Acharya.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/know-the-gujarat-ministers-who-took-oath-along-with-vijay-rupani-today-27731" target="_blank">Vijay Rupani took oath</a> as the chief minister of Gujarat on December 26 along with 19 ministers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a galaxy of senior BJP leaders on December 26.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had said earlier that the ceremony was delayed by the MLAs who wanted to avoid Makar Sankranti which falls on January 14 to avoid the &quot;inauspicious&quot; period.&nbsp;

The oath of office and secrecy was administered by pro-tem speaker Nimaben Acharya

The newly elected 182 legislators of the 14th Gujarat assembly took oath as members of the house today. The oath-taking ceremony was conducted at a makeshift venue in the Sabarmati Hall of Swarnim Sankul-I building in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by pro-tem speaker Nimaben Acharya. Vijay Rupani took oath as the chief minister of Gujarat on December 26 along with 19 ministers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a galaxy of senior BJP leaders on December 26. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had said earlier that the ceremony was delayed by the MLAs who wanted to avoid Makar Sankranti which falls on January 14 to avoid the "inauspicious" period.

182 Gujarat MLAs take oath of office

Eight days after being sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani today assumed charge of his office at Gandhinagar.

Before assuming the office for the second consecutive term, Rupani visited Swaminarayan temple at Vadtal in Kheda district and took blessings from the head priest Rakeshprasadjee Maharaj and some other saints, an official release said.

Earlier on December 26, the newly-elected BJP government under Vijay Rupani was sworn-in at a grand ceremony, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

Visitors thronged Rupani&#39;s office to greet him after he took charge this afternoon.

While BJP won 99 seats, the main opposition Congress bagged 77 seats in the recently held polls to the Gujarat Assembly.

While BJP won 99 seats, the main opposition Congress bagged 77 seats in the recently held polls to the Gujarat Assembly

Eight days after being sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani today assumed charge of his office at Gandhinagar. Before assuming the office for the second consecutive term, Rupani visited Swaminarayan temple at Vadtal in Kheda district and took blessings from the head priest Rakeshprasadjee Maharaj and some other saints, an official release said. Earlier on December 26, the newly-elected BJP government under Vijay Rupani was sworn-in at a grand ceremony, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. Visitors thronged Rupani's office to greet him after he took charge this afternoon. While BJP won 99 seats, the main opposition Congress bagged 77 seats in the recently held polls to the Gujarat Assembly.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani assumes office

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released the third list of 28 candidates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

The second list released on Saturday comprised 36 candidates while the first 70 candidates&nbsp;

Chief minister Vijay Rupani will contest the election from Rajkot (West), and his deputy, Nitin Patel, from Mehsana.

Elections in the state will be held in two phases, with 89 Assembly constituencies going to vote on December 9, and 93 on December 14.

Counting of votes will take place on December 18 for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly

The second list released on Saturday comprised 36 candidates while the first 70 candidates

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released the third list of 28 candidates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections. The second list released on Saturday comprised 36 candidates while the first 70 candidates Chief minister Vijay Rupani will contest the election from Rajkot (West), and his deputy, Nitin Patel, from Mehsana. Elections in the state will be held in two phases, with 89 Assembly constituencies going to vote on December 9, and 93 on December 14. Counting of votes will take place on December 18 for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly

Gujarat election: BJP releases third list of candidates

The BJP today released its first list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat elections, including five Congress rebels and 49 sitting MLAs.

The state&#39;s ruling party has fielded 16 fresh faces in its first list for elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The five Congress rebels who have been given tickets are Raghavji Patel, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Ramsinh Parmar, Mansinh Chauhan and C K Raolji. They had supported the BJP during the presidential election and during Congress leader Ahmed Patel&#39;s Rajya Sabha election.

The party has named Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani as its candidate from Rajkot West.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel will contest from Mahesana and state party president Jitubhai Vaghani from Bhavnagar West.

Of the 70, 17 are Patels, 18 OBCs, three SCs and 11 STs, party sources said.

A majority of OBC candidates are Thakores followed by Kolis, the sources added.

The names were finalized by BJP&#39;s Central Election Committee, which met on Wednesday.

The meeting, chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj among others, party leaders said.&nbsp;

The party has named Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani as its candidate from Rajkot West

The BJP today released its first list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat elections, including five Congress rebels and 49 sitting MLAs. The state's ruling party has fielded 16 fresh faces in its first list for elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The five Congress rebels who have been given tickets are Raghavji Patel, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Ramsinh Parmar, Mansinh Chauhan and C K Raolji. They had supported the BJP during the presidential election and during Congress leader Ahmed Patel's Rajya Sabha election. The party has named Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani as its candidate from Rajkot West. Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel will contest from Mahesana and state party president Jitubhai Vaghani from Bhavnagar West. Of the 70, 17 are Patels, 18 OBCs, three SCs and 11 STs, party sources said. A majority of OBC candidates are Thakores followed by Kolis, the sources added. The names were finalized by BJP's Central Election Committee, which met on Wednesday. The meeting, chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj among others, party leaders said.

Gujarat elections: BJP releases first list of 70 candidates

The Election commission today announced the dates for assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A K Joti said that there will be a single-phase election in Himachal Pradesh. The state will go to polls on November 9 and the counting will be held on December 18.

&quot;Model code of conduct for Himachal Pradesh assembly election comes into effect from now itself,&quot; the CEC said. &quot;Bulk SMSes &amp; voice messages on phone shall also be in purview of election advertisements,&quot; he added.

We will have VVPATs along with EVMs; height of voting compartments will be increased to 30 inches, CEC Joti said.

&quot;The election is mainly against the BJP and we know their strengths and&nbsp;weaknesses,&quot; Himachal chief minister&nbsp;Virbhadra Singh said.

&quot;They are relying on Modi. We are self-reliant and&nbsp;focused on development,&quot;&nbsp;the chief minister added.

The commission is soon expected to announce the dates for assembly elections in Gujarat. The CEC today said that Gujarat elections will be held before December 18.

Joti had said on Wednesday that voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) system will be used in over 50,000 booths in Gujarat. VVPAT was first used in Goa polls earlier this year.

The tenure of 182-member Gujarat assembly is due to end on January 22, 2018.

The term of the 68-member Himachal Assembly ends on January 7, 2018.&nbsp;

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A K Joti said that there will be a single-phase election in Himachal Pradesh.

The Election commission today announced the dates for assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A K Joti said that there will be a single-phase election in Himachal Pradesh. The state will go to polls on November 9 and the counting will be held on December 18. "Model code of conduct for Himachal Pradesh assembly election comes into effect from now itself," the CEC said. "Bulk SMSes & voice messages on phone shall also be in purview of election advertisements," he added. We will have VVPATs along with EVMs; height of voting compartments will be increased to 30 inches, CEC Joti said. "The election is mainly against the BJP and we know their strengths and weaknesses," Himachal chief minister Virbhadra Singh said. "They are relying on Modi. We are self-reliant and focused on development," the chief minister added. The commission is soon expected to announce the dates for assembly elections in Gujarat. The CEC today said that Gujarat elections will be held before December 18. Joti had said on Wednesday that voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) system will be used in over 50,000 booths in Gujarat. VVPAT was first used in Goa polls earlier this year. The tenure of 182-member Gujarat assembly is due to end on January 22, 2018. The term of the 68-member Himachal Assembly ends on January 7, 2018.

Himachal Pradesh assembly election on November 9, counting on December 18