With handsome win in RS polls, BJP set to get working majority

Following the results of the Rajya Sabha elections held on Friday, the BJP has inched closer towards a working majority in the Upper House. The party improved its tally from 58 to 68.

In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP made its biggest gains by winning 9 out of the 10 seats.

The BJP has faced issues in the Rajya Sabha although it won handsomely in 2014. The lack of numbers in the Upper House saw the BJP rely heavily on the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (13 members), YSR Congress Party (2), Telangana Rashtra Samiti (6) and other smaller parties for support. The Telugu Desam with 6 MPs in the Rajya Sabha walked out of the alliance recently.

There were 59 Rajya Sabha that were to be filled. 33 candidates from 10 states were elected unopposed on March 15. The BJP alone accounted for 16 of these candidates. Out of the 58 Rajya Sabha seats that will fall vacant this April, the BJP has managed to bag 28, the Congress has got 10 and 20 seats have been won by other parties.

Prior to the elections, the BJP was the largest party in the House with 58 MPs, followed by the Congress with 54. With these results on Friday the tally of the BJP in Rajya Sabha rises to 68.

Following the developments on Friday, the BJP led NDA now has 86 seats in the 245 seat Rajya Sabha. The Congress led UPA has 57 while the other parties together account for the remaining 100 seats.

OneIndia News