NDA Nears Two-Thirds Majority in Rajya Sabha as New MPs Join, Boosting Constitutional Amendment Prospects
NEW DELHI: The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has strengthened its position in the Rajya Sabha following the swearing-in of newly elected members on Monday. The numbers are now more favourable for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition, potentially enabling it to secure a two-thirds majority needed for a constitutional amendment bill to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha and implement a one-third quota for women in the next general election.
According to reports, the NDA currently has 141 members in the 242-member Rajya Sabha. With the support of 10 nominated and independent MPs, the assured tally stands at 151, well above the simple majority but still 11 short of the two-thirds mark. Two regional parties not aligned with either the NDA or the opposition INDIA bloc — the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) with 5 MPs and the YSR Congress Party with 4 — have in the past backed the government's key legislative initiatives. Their support would take the NDA's tally to 160.
Additionally, bypolls are expected to fill three vacancies from West Bengal, where the BJP's dominant numbers in the state assembly make it highly likely to win all three seats. This would increase the NDA's strength to 163 in a full Rajya Sabha of 245 members, where the two-thirds mark is 164. With reports of possible resignations by more Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs, the NDA is hopeful of reaching the required number.
In the Lok Sabha, the government faces a bigger challenge despite recent rebellions in opposition parties. The TMC, which had the fourth-largest contingent of 28 MPs, has seen a split, with 20 rebel MPs merging with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India. Similarly, six rebel MPs from the Shiv Sena (UBT) have merged with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. If Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla recognises these mergers, the NDA's tally will receive a boost but still fall short of the required 360 in the 540-member House, which has three vacancies.
