The BJP has made a gain of 11 additional seats while the Congress suffered an overall loss of four in the biennial elections to 58 Rajya Sabha seats. With this, BJP has consolidated its position in the House, leaving its main rival far behind.
The BJP’s 28 candidates emerged victorious in the polls held on March 23 against 17 retiring members, while the Congress won only 10 seats. Fourteen members of the Congres will retire next week.
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A calculation of tallies shows that the BJP’s strength in the 245-member House will go from the existing 58 to 69 and that of the Congress will fall from 54 to 50 when the new MPs take oath next week. However, a majority in the Council of States will continue to elude the BJP-led NDA.
TDP pullout a setback to NDA
The NDA recently suffered a setback when the Telugu Desam Party, its ally of four years, decided to break ties. The TDP has six members in the House.
However, NDA managers are upbeat following the loss in numbers of most vocal Opposition parties like the Congress, and the Samajwadi Party, which won only one seat while its six members are retiring.
Sources in the BJP said the Treasury benches will now be more comfortably placed in the House as regional parties like the AIADMK; the TRS, which has gained three more seats; the YSRCP; and the BJD, all of whom are outside the NDA, have been more open to supporting the government’s legislative agenda.
The Modi government’s bills have often been stalled in the Rajya Sabha, where it lackS a majority, by a united Opposition after it managed to pass them in the Lok Sabha, where it enjoys a strong majority.
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