New Delhi: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has secured 11 seats in the recent Rajya Sabha by-elections, while the Congress party has won one seat. This result strengthens the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) influence in the Rajya Sabha and marks a historic moment as the NDA achieves self-sufficiency in the upper house for the first time. This newfound strength is expected to make it easier for the Modi government to pass crucial legislation.
In the elections for 12 Rajya Sabha seats, nine members of the BJP and two from its allied parties were elected unopposed. Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi won the Rajya Sabha seat from Telangana. The BJP secured seats in Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar, with Kiran Chaudhary, George Kurien, and Manan Kumar Mishra emerging victorious. Meanwhile, Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Party, an NDA ally, also won a seat from Bihar.
In Maharashtra, BJP’s Dhairyasheel Patil and NCP’s Ajit faction candidate Nitin Patil were elected unopposed. Additionally, BJP’s Rameshwar Teli and Mission Ranjan Das won from Assam, while Mamata Mohanta from Odisha and Rajiv Bhattacharya from Tripura were also elected unopposed. Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi was elected unopposed from Telangana.
The Election Commission had announced the Rajya Sabha by-elections earlier this month, with the voting originally scheduled for 3 September. However, all candidates were elected unopposed before the elections could be held.
The Rajya Sabha has 245 seats in total, with eight currently vacant – four from Jammu and Kashmir and four nominated seats. The house currently has 237 members, with 119 needed for a majority.
With these results, the BJP’s strength in the Rajya Sabha has risen to 96 members, while its allies hold 16 seats, bringing the NDA’s total to 112 members. Although the alliance has not reached an absolute majority, it now relies on the support of six nominated and one independent member to meet the majority threshold of 119. This means the NDA will no longer need to depend on parties like the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), YSR Congress, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) to pass critical bills.
The BJP’s allies in the upper house include the Janata Dal (United), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Janata Dal (Secular), Republican Party of India (A), Shiv Sena, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha, National People’s Party (NPP), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Tamil Maanila Congress, and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).
Meanwhile, with Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s election from Telangana, the Congress party’s position as Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha remains secure. The Congress now holds 27 seats in the Rajya Sabha, exceeding the minimum of 25 seats required for the role. Overall, the number of opposition members in the Rajya Sabha has increased to 85.
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