The BJP has overtaken the Congress to become the largest political party in the Rajya Sabha, where it now has 58 members against 57 of the main opposition party.
BJP MP Sampatiya Uikey, who was elected to the Upper House following a by-poll in Madhya Pradesh, took oath on Wednesday. His election was necessitated by the death of Union Minister, Anil Madhav Dave.
This is the first time that the saffron party has become the number one formation in the RS after the Narendra Modi government came to power in May 2014. The BJP-led NDA, however, is still short of a decisive majority in the House but the joining of JDU to the ruling block has further boosted its numbers.
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The BJP smoother transaction of business in the Upper House in future sessions as it is confident of getting former union minister, Venkaiah Naidu elected to the post of vice-president, who is the chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Of the 790 members of the both Houses of Parliament, who form the electoral college for the vice-presidential poll, the NDA enjoys a comfortable majority and the BJP sources claimed that they can get close to 550 votes due to support from many regional parties.
On the other hand, numbers of the Congress will go down by around 10 seats from the current 58. The BJP’s tally can go near 70 from the current 56.
In a first for the Aam Aadmi Party, its members will enter the Rajya Sabha in January when they will replace three Congress members from Delhi.
