New Delhi, India – The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saw its strength in the Rajya Sabha drop below 90 as four of its members concluded their terms on Saturday, July 13. The party’s current strength stands at 86, following the exit of Sonal Mansingh, Mahesh Jethmalani, Rakesh Sinha, and Ram Shakal. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) now holds 101 seats, below the majority mark of 113 in the 245-member Rajya Sabha.
In contrast, the Congress-led opposition bloc has 87 seats, with the Congress holding 26, the Trinamool Congress 13, and both the AAP and DMK having 10 each. The BJP-led NDA is looking to secure seats in upcoming by-elections, aiming for two seats each in Bihar, Maharashtra, and Assam, and one seat each in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Tripura.
The four newly-nominated members, once announced by the government, are expected to align with the Treasury benches. While nominated members do not represent any political party, they traditionally support the government’s agenda.
Currently, there are 19 vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha, including four from Jammu and Kashmir, where there has been no Assembly since 2019. The Congress aims to win a lone seat in Telangana, although this gain may be offset by the BJP’s expected victory in Rajasthan, filling the vacancy left by KC Venugopal, who won a Lok Sabha seat from Alappuzha in Kerala.
Additionally, the BJP is confident of securing the lone seat in Haryana, left vacant by Deepender Singh Hooda’s election to the Lok Sabha. The Election Commission (EC) has yet to announce the date for the elections to fill the 11 vacancies created by the resignations of members.
The BJP is hopeful that the upcoming by-elections will help restore its numbers in the Rajya Sabha, bolstering its legislative strength as it continues to govern.
