Resignations of Yeddyurappa and Sriramulu accepted: BJP numbers drop to 272 in Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has accepted the resignations of B S Yeddyurappa and B Sriramulu with effect May 18, following which the BJP's strength has fallen to 272. The Speaker also accepted the resignation of JD(S) MP, C S Puttaraju.

With these resignations being accepted the strength of the Lok Sabha has fallen to 537. The strength would increase once again after the results to the by-polls for Bhandara-Gondiya, Kairana, Palghar and Nagaland are announced on May 31.

In the year 2014, the strength of the BJP was at 282. Following the resignation of the two Karnataka leaders, the strength now stands at 272.

According to the notification of the Lok Sabha secretariat, the resignations of Yeddyurappa and Sreeramulu were accepted with effect from May 18 while the resignation of the JD(S) was accepted with effect from May 21. The Speaker is however yet to accept the resignations of five YSR Congress MPs. They had tendered their resignation over the special status issue for Andhra Pradesh. The Speaker is said to have told them to re-consider their decision.

With 272, the BJP is still not a minority government. The Speaker does not cast his or her vote in a trust vote, but exercises her franchise in case of a tie in the 543 member house. The BJP since it came to power in 2014 has seen a drop in its numbers. It was at 282 in 2014, but the numbers have come down after it lost the by-polls at Ajmer and Alwar in Rajasthan, Gorakhpur and Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh, Gurdaspur in Punjab, Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh.

It however won the by-polls at Lakhimpur, Shahdol, Beed, Kandhamal and Vadodara. The BJP would however not be reduced to a minority even if it were to lose the by-elections. It has the support of its allies- Lok Jan Shakti Party, Shiromani Akali Dal and JD(U) which account for 12 seats.