5 BJD MPs, 1 from YSRC voted in favour of NDA-backed Waqf (Amendment) Bill

New Delhi: Five of the seven BJD MPs and one of the seven YSR Congress lawmakers who voted during the passage of the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in Rajya Sabha this April supported the BJP-led NDA government, Parliament documents have shown.

The Bill was passed 127-95 on April 4 early morning after over 12 hour debate even as Opposition rallied against the Bill with non-I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties like AIADMK, BRS and YSR Congress too joining hands. After initially opposing, the BJD had allowed its MPs to vote according to their conscience.

The I.N.D.I.A. bloc was expecting over 100 votes with NDA ally AIADMK also joining them and it was not clear immediately after the voting who all favoured the Bill from parties opposing the legislation. The Rajya Sabha has published the official ‘floor version’ of debates, which includes voting details.

While Muzibulla Khan voted against the Bill and Debashish Samantray remaining absent owing to “confusion” in party’s stand, it has now emerged that five BJD MPs – Sasmit Patra, Sulata Deo, Subhashish Khuntia, Manas Ranjan Mangraj and Niranjan Bishi – voted with the BJP-led government.

BJD floor leader Patra had faced the ire from a section within the party, accusing him of straying from the party line of opposing the Bill. Patra had said BJD will oppose the Bill but hours before the voting, he announced that MPs were free to vote according to their conscience and no Whip was issued.

Earlier, there were reports that only Patra and Deo voted in favour of the Bill and Khan opposed it while there was no clarity on others. While a section sought action against Patra, the BJD leader had maintained that his announcement on conscience vote was sanctioned by the leadership.

A senior BJD leader claimed that Patra was made to face the heat for the decision so that the party was insulated from criticism over the issue. Patra did not respond to calls and text messages on the issue.

There was confusion about YSR Congress as initial reports had suggested that it did not issue a Whip to its MPs. However, on April 3 night, just hours before the voting, it asked its MPs to vote against the Bill.

Only Parimal Nathwani from YSR Congress voted in favour of the Bill while other six MPs Ayodhya Rami Reddy, Subhash Chandra Bose Pilli, Golla Baburao, Meda Raghunanda Reddy, S Niranjan Reddy and Y V Subba Reddy opposed the Bill. Swati Maliwal, who is at loggerheads with AAP leadership, also voted against the Bill.

Four MPs each of BRS and AIADMK voted against the Bill. All Rajya Sabha MPs of Congress (27), DMK (10), RJD (5), CPI-M (4), Samajwadi Party (4), Muslim League (2), CPI (2) and Shiv Sena-UBT (2) also voted against the Bill.