NDA Secures Majority In Rajya Sabha As Nine BJP Members And Allies Elected Unopposed In By-Polls
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) achieved a significant milestone today by reaching the majority mark in the Rajya Sabha. This was accomplished after nine BJP members and two from allied parties were elected unopposed in the by-polls for the Upper House. With these new additions, the BJP's strength in the Rajya Sabha has risen to 96, bringing the NDA's total to 112 members.
The new BJP members elected unopposed include Mission Ranjan Dass and Rameshwar Teli from Assam, Manan Kumar Mishra from Bihar, Kiran Chadhary from Haryana, George Kurien from Madhya Pradesh, Dhirya Sheel Patil from Maharashtra, Mamata Mohanta from Odisha, Ravneet Singh Bittu from Rajasthan, and Rajeev Bhattacharjee from Tripura.
In addition to the BJP, one member each from NDA allies?NCP?s Ajit Pawar faction and the Rashtriya Lok Manch (RLM)?were also elected unopposed. Nitin Patil from Maharashtra (NCP) and Upendra Kushwaha from Bihar (RLM) secured their seats in the Upper House.
These victories have crucial implications for the NDA, as the alliance now has a firmer grip on the Rajya Sabha. This development is expected to smooth the passage of contentious bills, which had previously faced significant resistance from a strong opposition bloc. The BJP, with 96 seats, combined with its allies and the support of six nominated members and one independent, now commands a strategic majority in the 237-member House, where the current majority mark is 119.
Meanwhile, Congress also saw a victory with Abhishek Manu Singhvi elected unopposed from Telangana, taking the Opposition?s total strength to 85 in the Upper House. However, the opposition's influence has been reduced as the NDA now holds the upper hand in legislative processes.
Rajya Sabha has a total of 245 seats, though there are currently eight vacancies?four from Jammu and Kashmir and four nominated positions. Over the years, the opposition had effectively utilized its numbers to block or delay the passage of controversial government bills. Some of these bills were passed with the assistance of non-aligned parties like Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and YS Jaganmohan Reddy's YSR Congress. However, with the political landscape shifting?BJD losing power in Odisha and YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh?the NDA can no longer rely on their support.
