NDA set to cross halfway mark in RS
The NDA led by the BJP is set to cross the half mark in the 245-member Rajya Sabha this year as 37 seats from 10 States got to polls next month. The alliance is expected to take its tally to at least 135-137 seats, including the nominated members. The party, which has 102 seats in the Upper House, is in power or part of the ruling alliance in six of the 10 States where seats are falling vacant.
The BJP is likely to win at least half of the seats going polls on March 16. The seats will fall vacant on April 2 and 9 following the retirement of several members, including Rajya Sabha deputy
chairman Harivansh (JDU), NCP-SP MP Sharad Pawar, former Lok Sabha deputy Speaker M Thambidurai and Union ministers Ram Nath Thakurand Ramdas Athawale.
Amongst the other prominent MPs retiring are Abhishek Singhvi (Congress), Saket Gokhale (TMC), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Bhubaneswar Kalita, Ram Chander Jangra and Kiran Choudhary (all BJP).
NDA set to cross halfway mark in RS According to the Election Commission of India, polls on March 16 are distributed across 10 states: Maharashtra (7), Odisha (4), Telangana (2), Tamil Nadu (6), Chhattisgarh (2), West Bengal (5), Assam (3), Haryana (2), Himachal Pradesh (1), and Bihar (5). Notifications for these polls will be issued on February 26.
A total of 72 MPs will conclude their Rajya Sabha terms between March and November this year. The ruling NDA currently holds 42 of these seats. After the upcoming elections for these 71 seats (excluding one nominated seat), the NDA’s total is anticipated to rise to 45 or 46 seats, marking a gain of 3-4 seats.
Congress-led Opposition, which currently has 23 of these 71 seats, will get reduced by at least one seat. BJD, YSRCP and BRS, along with an independent MP from Assam, hold seven seats and post polls they would be reduced to three seats as YSRCP and BRS will lose four berths.
One more seat is to be vacant as NCP MP Sunetra Pawar has taken over as Maharashtra deputy chief minister after the sudden demise of her husband, Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash.
As CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharjee’s term will end in April 2026, one interesting fact to emerge is that the Upper House will have no representative from West Bengal for the first time since the 1970s.
Based on its state legislative strength, the BJP is expected to win around 15 to 18 seats as BJP has Governments or is an alliance partner in Maharashtra, Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Assam.
