BJP-led NDA eyes majority in Rajya Sabha, by-elections to be held on 12 seats on September 3

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is expected to get a clear majority in the by-elections for 12 seats next month, which will help the party get important bills like the Waqf (Amendment) Bill approved.

The BJP has 87 MPs in the Upper House, which is 105 with allies. There are six nominated members who usually vote in favour of the government.

The total number of NDA members thus comes to 111, four less than the majority figure of 115. At the same time, Congress has 26 members in the Rajya Sabha. With 58 members from allies, the number rises to 84. The YSR Congress Party has 11 and the BJD has eight members.

Elections to the 12 vacant Rajya Sabha seats across nine states are scheduled for September 3. In a much-anticipated move, the Election Commission has decided to hold 12 separate polls for each seat, which will clearly benefit the ruling party in that state. The BJP and its allies would win 11 of the 12 seats in the election and the NDA's tally would increase to 122 in the 245-member House. Four seats from Jammu and Kashmir are lying vacant in the Upper House. Actually, the Union Territory is yet to get its first assembly. Effectively the strength of Rajya Sabha reduces to 241.

Ten Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant due to the election of sitting members, including Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Jyotiraditya Scindia, to the Lok Sabha. By-elections are being held for two seats from Telangana and Odisha.

K. Keshava Rao from Telangana recently quit the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) to join the Congress and resigned from the House. While Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Mamta Mohanta resigned from her Rajya Sabha seat and primary membership of the party. She has joined the BJP.