BJP's RS strength set to touch 100; first party since 1990 to make it

New Delhi: BJP has secured 100 seats in the Rajya Sabha with the addition of one sea each from three northeastern states - Assam, Tripura and Nagaland - and Himachal Pradesh. However, the ruling party lost its lone seat in Punjab in the recently held biennial polls for 13 Rajya Sabha seats across six states.

In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party won all five seats.

In the process, BJP won the distinction of being the first party since 1990 having 100 members in Rajya Sabha , which is also for the first time for the party in his history to touch the 100 mark.

While the Rajya Sabha website is yet to notify the new tally, the BJP's numbers will reach 100 if the three seats it has gained in the latest round of elections are added to the existing 97.

The BJP is still short of majority in the 245-member Upper House, but the recent wins underscore the party's steady rise since its coming to power in 2014. The BJP's strength in Rajya Sabha was 55 in 2014 and has since steadily inched up as the party won power in a number of states.

The last time a party had 100 or more seats in the Upper House was in 1990 when the then ruling Congress had 108 members before its gradual decline after its numbers fell to 99 in the 1990 biennial polls and continued to fall as a stream of states fell out of its rule and coalition era began and continued till 2014.

However, the saffron party's hold of the landmark may be tenuous as polls to around 52 more seats will be held soon, and it is expected to suffer reverses in states like Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Jharkhand.

Whether the BJP's expected gains from Uttar Pradesh, where it may win at least eight of the 11 expected vacancies, will make for the loss remains to be seen. Out of the 11 retiring Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh, five are from the BJP.

(Based on PTI feed)