After the results of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, for the first time some news has come which must be making the BJP happy. The results of the by-elections in July were also not such that the BJP could feel some relief – but the trends of the Rajya Sabha elections have brought happiness to the BJP camp.
The good news for BJP is that NDA has also achieved majority in Rajya Sabha. This has happened for the first time since BJP came to power at the centre in 2014. It seems as if nature’s balancing factor works like this – for the first time in Lok Sabha elections, BJP was unable to achieve majority on its own, and it was possible to return to power only with the help of NDA allies.
By-elections were announced for 12 Rajya Sabha seats, but all the candidates have been elected unopposed. Out of these, NDA has won 11 seats, while one seat has gone to the account of INDIA Block. In NDA, BJP has got 9 seats, Ajit Pawar’s NCP and Rashtriya Lok Morcha have got one seat each, and a Congress candidate has won one seat.
BJP’s happiness is anyway the natural cause of Congress’s sadness, but victory of even one seat is a big relief for it – and yes, for the opposition’s popular lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, there is a legitimate reason to be happy.
Who has what position in Rajya Sabha now?
After winning 11 seats in the by-elections for 12 Rajya Sabha seats, NDA has now got a majority in the Rajya Sabha. NDA is in power in the Lok Sabha as well, and the government has got the majority not because of BJP but because of NDA. After two terms of five years each, BJP missed the majority in the third term.
Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister again, but for this the BJP was forced to take the support of TDP leader N. Chandrababu Naidu and JDU leader Nitish Kumar. The way the current central government led by BJP is taking U-turns on many issues one after the other, it cannot be denied that everything is in order as before.
The math of majority in Rajya Sabha can be understood like this. There are 8 seats less in the 245 member House, so the effective number is 237. Actually, out of 8 seats, 4 are from Jammu and Kashmir, and four seats are from nominated category.
According to the current strength of the House of 237, the majority figure is 119. With the victory on 11 seats, the number of NDA members in the House has now become 112. The support of 6 nominated and one independent member is also with the NDA – and according to this, the journey of majority of the BJP-led NDA has been completed.
Will NDA be able to get the benefit of majority?
If we look at it, the setback that BJP received in the Lok Sabha elections has been compensated in a way. This compensation has definitely been made in terms of numbers, but is it as effective in practical terms as it seems?
At first it seems as if the people have changed, and the circumstances have remained the same. If not directly, but if we look at the status of BJP in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, it seems so to some extent.
It seems as if the circumstances of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have changed in the case of BJP. Some things had changed on one side of the wall, and similarly things have changed on the other side too. The difference is that earlier in Rajya Sabha, BJP had to extend a helping hand even outside NDA, but now that is not the case. It is a different matter that earlier in Lok Sabha, BJP did not even care about NDA, but now it is becoming difficult to take even a single step forward without NDA allies.
After the Lok Sabha elections and Rajya Sabha by-elections, the names of BJP’s supporting leaders have changed. Just as earlier BJP had to look at Naveen Patnaik and Jaganmohan Reddy outside NDA to do anything of its own in Rajya Sabha, now the same has to be done in the case of Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar. Earlier Patnaik and Jaganmohan had to be kept together politically, now efforts have to be made to prevent Naidu and Nitish from getting disillusioned with BJP.
Suppose Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu do not agree with the decision of the BJP government on any issue, then they will be forced to step back. If the BJP has to step back in the Lok Sabha itself, then there will be no chance of it reaching the Rajya Sabha. And even if a bill is passed in the Rajya Sabha due to the majority of the NDA, then what will be its meaning without the approval of the Lok Sabha.
And if this helplessness of BJP does not end, then how much benefit will the Central Government get from the majority obtained by NDA in the Rajya Sabha?
This is a big relief for Congress
If you look carefully, Congress is having more success in its neighbourhood than in BJP. Congress Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had already given a hint as soon as he formed the government in Telangana. Actually, Deepender Hooda from Haryana and KC Venugopal from Rajasthan used to be Rajya Sabha MPs, but after contesting and winning elections, they have now reached the Lok Sabha. Of course, Congress has gained two seats in the Lok Sabha, but it has become difficult for the Rajya Sabha.
After losing two seats, the number of Congress members in Rajya Sabha became 26. 25 seats are required to become the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha. If for some reason one or two seats had shifted here and there, Mallikarjun Kharge’s chair would have been shaken.
Then Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy got BRS’s Rajya Sabha MP Keshav Rao inducted into the Congress. Keshav Rao had two years of his term left. After coming to power, the opportunity had arisen for the Congress to send its leader to the Rajya Sabha.
Now Abhishek Manu Singhvi is reaching Rajya Sabha by winning the election unopposed from the same seat of Keshav Rao. Abhishek Manu Singhvi had to face defeat due to cross voting of Congress MLAs in Himachal Pradesh. There was also a discussion that Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal also wanted Abhishek Manu Singhvi to reach Rajya Sabha on his behalf. However, such things were denied by Abhishek Manu Singhvi. But during the Swati Maliwal case, this discussion was gaining momentum.
Anyway, all is well that ends well. Now Abhishek Manu Singhvi has also reached Rajya Sabha, and with 27 MPs, Mallikarjun Kharge’s position has also got a little stronger. Isn’t this a big relief for Congress?
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)