BJP’s Rajya Sabha Strength Falls to 86 as Four Nominated Members Complete Terms
New Delhi, 15th July 2024: Four members of the Rajya Sabha representing the BJP concluded their terms on Saturday, resulting in the party’s strength decreasing to 86 members and the NDA’s to 101 in the Upper House. These members—Rakesh Sinha, Ram Shakal, Sonal Mansingh, and Mahesh Jethmalani—were appointed as nominated members by President Droupadi Murmu on the recommendation of the ruling party.
With the completion of their terms, the BJP now holds 86 seats in the Rajya Sabha, which currently has 226 members due to 19 vacancies. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) counts 101 members, falling short by 12 seats of the current majority threshold of 113 in the 245-member House.
The principal opposition bloc, led by the Congress, holds 26 seats, followed by the Trinamool Congress with 13 seats, and both the Aam Aadmi Party and the DMK with 10 seats each. The remaining members belong to parties not aligned with either the BJP or the Congress, such as BRS led by former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.
How Will the BJP’s Reduced Numbers Impact Legislative Passage?
Despite the NDA’s shortfall below the majority mark, the BJP is expected to garner support from seven nominated members, two Independents, and allied parties like YSRCP (11 members) and AIADMK (4 MPs) to pass legislation during the upcoming budget session. However, these alliances face challenges as the BJP’s relations with these parties have been strained since their split in December last year, just months before the election.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), led by former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, which had previously extended issue-based support to the BJP, has distanced itself following electoral setbacks in the May-June state elections. The BJD currently holds nine seats in the Rajya Sabha.
Number of Vacant Seats in the Rajya Sabha
Presently, there are 20 vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha—two each in Maharashtra, Assam, and Bihar, and one each in Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Tripura. Elections for these seats are anticipated later this year.
The BJP-led NDA bloc is likely to secure victories in seven seats—Assam, Rajasthan, Bihar, Tripura, and Madhya Pradesh—and potentially two more in Maharashtra. With wins in these nine seats and support from the YSRCP led by Jagan Reddy, the NDA bloc could surpass the majority mark.
