BJP's strength in Rajya Sabha dips to 86, NDA seats below majority mark as four members complete terms

With their exit, the BJP's count in the Rajya Sabha has decreased to 86, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) now holds 101 seats, falling short of the majority mark of 113 in the 245-member house.

BJP strength in Rajya Sabha dips to 86, NDA seats below majority mark as four members complete terms AJR

Team Asianet Newsable

First Published Jul 15, 2024, 7:25 PM IST | Last Updated Jul 15, 2024, 7:25 PM IST

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lost its strength in the Rajya Sabha and now has 86 members after four of its members completed their term on July 13. This is the first time the party has lost seats in the upper house of Parliament in several years. The members who have completed their offices are Sonal Mansingh, Mahesh Jethmalani, Rakesh Sinha and Ram Shakal. They were appointed by the President Droupadi Murmu as non-voting members as per the advice of the ruling party and later affiliated to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

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Despite this reduction, the BJP-led NDA is optimistic about securing additional seats in the upcoming elections. They expect winning two seats each in Bihar, Maharashtra, and Assam, and one seat each in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Tripura, leveraging their numerical advantage over the opposition.

Newly nominated members are expected to align with the treasury benches once appointed by the government. While nominated members are typically independent in terms of party affiliation, they often support the government's agenda that nominates them.

Currently, there are 19 vacancies in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress party is looking to win the lone seat in Telangana, potentially at the expense of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). However, any gains may be offset in Rajasthan, where the BJP is expected to secure the seat vacated by senior Congress member KC Venugopal, who won a Lok Sabha seat from Alappuzha in Kerala.

The BJP is also confident of winning the single seat in Haryana, where the poll will fill the vacancy left by the election of its Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda to the Lok Sabha.

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The Congress hopes that some independent MLAs or those affiliated with regional parties might switch sides ahead of the upcoming assembly polls in October, potentially helping the party make a strong showing.

The Election Commission has yet to announce the date for elections to fill the 11 vacancies caused by the resignation of members elected to the Lok Sabha and one member, K Keshava Rao of the BRS, who joined the Congress.

Of the total 19 vacancies in the Rajya Sabha, four are from Jammu and Kashmir, which currently has no assembly since it was reorganized into a Union Territory in 2019.

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