How close is NDA to 2/3 majority in Rajya Sabha
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has come closer to achieving a two-thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha after winning 19 out of 27 seats across 10 states in the latest elections. The Congress-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc secured five seats. With these results, the NDA's strength in the Upper House has increased to 152 members, just 12 short of the two-thirds majority mark of 164 in a House of 245.
Jharkhand upset
Surprise win in Jharkhand bolsters NDA's strength
The NDA's strength was bolstered by the surprise win of NDA-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani in Jharkhand with the help of cross-voting. Nathwani won one of the two Rajya Sabha seats from the state, despite the INDIA bloc having a comfortable majority in the state assembly. The other seat went to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Baidyanath Ram. Last week, Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan was disqualified, handing the BJP an uncontested seat in Madhya Pradesh.
Future outlook
Potential gains from TMC MPs' resignation
The resignation of three Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MPs could further benefit the NDA. If the ruling alliance wins all three bypolls in West Bengal, its tally could increase to 153. The NDA was also bolstered by a split in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with Raghav Chadha bringing seven Upper House MPs into the NDA fold. However, the outcome can only be determined with time, as 10 Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh will retire this year.