Waqf Amendment Bill: Will Nitish Kumar And Chandrababu Naidu Back The Bill In Parliament? Know The Number Game

Updated: Wednesday, April 2, 2025, 8:23 [IST]

The Waqf Amendment Bill has turned out to be a litmus test for BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as it has to prove the majority in the Lok Sabha. The government is already facing strong opposition as Ntish Kumar's Janata Dal United and N Chandrababu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) have not opened up their cards yet.

With JDU and TDP's support NDA has 293 members in Lok Sabha currently, but if Nitish and Naidu backed out then Modi government 3.0 may fail to pass the bill. This will also mean that Government will lose its majority in the house.

As claimed by the Opposition's INDIA Bloc, the Waqf Amendment Bill is against Muslims and may give powers to the authorities to attach unregistered properties of Waqf Board.

The opposition's concerted efforts include staging walkouts and mobilizing support against the bill, signaling a contentious debate ahead.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has announced an eight-hour discussion on the Waqf bill, subject to extension based on the House's consensus. The decision was made after a meeting of the Lok Sabha's Business Advisory Committee (BAC), where opposition members, particularly from the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties, expressed their discontent by walking out. Opposition MPs also accused the government of suppressing their voices.

The NDA government's confidence in passing the Waqf Amendment Bill stems from its majority in the Lok Sabha and the backing of allied parties.

The NDA needs 272 votes to pass the bill, while BJP alone has 240 MPs. The saffron party is expecting support from its allaince partners and independents are likely to play a key role, if anything unexpected happens.