New Delhi: After nominated members Rakesh Sinha, Ram Shakal, Sonal Mansingh, and Mahesh Jethmalani completed their term, the BJP’s strength in Rajya Sabha fell by four on Saturday.
With their exit, the saffron party’s strength comes down to 86 while its alliance NDA is pegged at 101, below the majority mark of 113 in the 245-member House, according to NDTV.
Meanwhile, INDIA bloc has 87 members whereas its main constituent Congress has 26, Mamata Banjerjee’s TMC has 13, AAP and the DMK have 10 each.
The independents, and the parties like K Chandrashekar Rao's BRS, which are not aligned with the major alliances, hold the rest of the seats.
The fall in number in Rajya Sabha could mean that the saffron party requires to rely on non-NDA parties to get bills passed in the Upper House.
It is reported that the BJP will have to seek the support of its ex-ally AIADMK of Tamil Nadu and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party when in need.
Jagan Reddy's YSRCP (11) offered issue-based support to the BJP in the past; however, the BJPs’ relation with the AIADMK (4) went belly up after parting the ways months before the Lok Sabha election.
Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's BJD earlier extended issue-based support to the BJP.
However, beaten by the BJP in the May-June state election, Patnaik’s party is unlikely to do so ever again.
In the event of the AIADMK and the BJD of Naveen Patnaik not willing to support, the BJP will have to turn to nominated members for support.
This could make the party turn to its 12 nominated members in the Rajya Sabha.
Brought in as non-aligned by the government, these members in practice are likely to support the ruling party.