The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has achieved a majority in the Rajya Sabha with the backing of six nominated members. This boost could aid in passing key legislation, such as the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Following recent Rajya Sabha by-elections, the upper house now has 234 members, with the BJP holding 96 seats. The NDA’s total stands at 113, which, including the six nominated members who typically support the government, brings their number to 119, surpassing the current majority threshold of 117.
The opposition coalition includes 27 Congress members and 58 allies, totaling 85 members. Other significant parties in the Rajya Sabha include YSR Congress with nine members and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) with seven. The AIADMK has four members, along with three independents and other smaller parties not aligned with either Congress or the BJP.
There are currently 11 vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha, including four from Jammu and Kashmir, which has yet to form its first assembly. Two YSR Congress members and one BJD member recently resigned; BJD’s Sujit Kumar joined the BJP, which is likely to win the by-election for that seat. The YSR Congress members, M. Venkataraman Rao and B. Mastan Rao, are expected to join the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh, an ally of the BJP. The BJP’s allies in the Rajya Sabha include JD(U), NCP, JD(S), RPI(A), Shiv Sena, RLD, National People’s Party, PMK, Tamil Maanila Congress, and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).
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