BJP's Rajya Sabha tally dips to 86, NDA now short of majority in Upper House

Digital Desk: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) encountered a setback in the Rajya Sabha as four of its members completed their terms on Saturday, reducing its strength in the upper house of Parliament.

The retirees—Rakesh Sinha, Ram Shakal, Sonal Mansingh, and Mahesh Jethmalani—were initially appointed as non-aligned members by President Droupadi Murmu on the recommendation of the ruling party but subsequently aligned themselves formally with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

With these retirements, the BJP's tally in the Rajya Sabha now stands at 86, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), of which BJP is a key constituent, has 101 seats. This falls short of the current majority mark of 113 in the 245-member House. On the other hand, the Congress-led I.N.D.I.A. alliance holds 87 seats, with Congress itself having 26 seats, TMC and AAP with 13 each, and DMK also with 10 seats.

The diminishing numbers pose challenges for the BJP in passing legislation, as it now relies heavily on the support of other parties to secure a majority. The NDA can count on 15 votes from its allied parties in the Rajya Sabha, leaving BJP needing an additional 13 votes to pass bills.

In this scenario, the BJP is likely to seek support from parties like the AIADMK and YSR Congress Party. The YSRCP, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, has 11 seats and has previously offered issue-based support to the BJP. Meanwhile, AIADMK, with 4 seats, has been a former ally of the BJP.

However, efforts to secure support from parties such as BJD, which holds 9 seats, may prove challenging. BJP's recent electoral rivalry with BJD in Odisha makes it unlikely for the latter to lend support.

Currently, there are 20 vacancies in the Rajya Sabha, including seats from Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Tripura. Elections are anticipated this year to fill these vacancies, adding further dynamics to the political landscape of the upper house. As the BJP navigates these challenges, the dynamics of coalition politics and legislative strategy will be crucial in determining the fate of upcoming bills in the Rajya Sabha.