An Indian Parliamentary Delegation led by Shri Harivansh, Hon’ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha is participating in the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) being held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 12 to 19 September 2026.
The Indian Parliamentary Delegation comprises Shri C. Sadanandan Master, MP, Rajya Sabha; Dr. D. Purandeswari, MP, Lok Sabha; Shri Vishnu Datt Sharma, MP, Lok Sabha; Shri Sudheer Gupta, MP, Lok Sabha; Shri Krishna Prasad Tenneti, MP, Lok Sabha; Smt. Rachna Banerjee, MP, Lok Sabha; and Shri P. C. Mody, Secretary General, Rajya Sabha.
The Conference is also being attended by 32 Presiding Officers and 18 Secretaries from State/UT Legislatures of India, who are members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
Shri Harivansh, Hon’ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, arrived in Cape Town today and held bilateral meeting with Hon. Angela Thokozile Didiza, Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Poobalan Govender, Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces of South Africa and Hon. Annelie Lotriet, Deputy Speaker of National Assembly. The meetings provided an opportunity to exchange views on matters of mutual parliamentary interest and to further strengthen the close and longstanding parliamentary relations between India and South Africa.
Further, Dr. D. Purandeswari, MP, Lok Sabha, attended the meeting of the CPA Executive Committee and effectively put forth India’s views and perspectives on various matters concerning the CPA.
During the Conference, six main workshops will inter-alia be held on a range of contemporary issues of relevance to Commonwealth legislatures. Shri Harivansh will address the General Assembly of the 69th CPC on the theme, “New Leadership Opportunities for the Commonwealth: Parliamentary Action to Strengthen Democracy and International Law.”
Members of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation, along with Presiding Officers and other representatives from State/UT Legislatures, will participate in the various workshops, plenary sessions and deliberations of the General Assembly during the Conference.
India’s participation in the 69th CPC reflects its continued commitment to strengthening parliamentary democracy, legislative cooperation and inter-parliamentary engagement within the Commonwealth, while further deepening the strong parliamentary ties between India and South Africa.
The Indian delegation will continue its participation in the Conference in the coming days, including in the General Assembly and various workshops addressing issues of contemporary global and parliamentary relevance.