NDA eyes Rajya Sabha majority to push key bills

After securing a thumping win in the recently concluded Lok Sabha Elections 2019, the BJP-led NDA is well on their way of securing a majority in the Rajya Sabha. By November next year, NDA in all probability will conquer the Upper House, thereby completing their domination in the Parliament. Once the Parliament becomes their fortress, the NDA government can push for some key legislations which has been stalled otherwise because of the opposition benches.

According to a report in The Times of India, at present NDA, has 102 members in Rajya Sabha while Congress-led UPA has 65. Parties not aligned to either block have 73 in the House where the support of 123 is needed to cross the halfway mark. Ten seats will fall vacant in 2019 and 72 in 2020. Fifty-five of the 72 seats will fall vacant in April, five in June, one in July and 11 (including 10 from Uttar Pradesh) in November next year. The defeats in Chhatisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh dealt a severe blow to BJP's ambitions, but they will look up their ante by claiming victory in the Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra.

The Congress will be without one of their most important cogs, as Manmohan Singh is set to retire from the Rajya Sabha next month. It will be a big setback for the party, at a time when it is going through a very tumultuous time. Another Congress member, Santiuse Katju is also set to retire next month. Both Singh and Katju were members from Assam, and both the seats will go to BJP. One seat from Odisha and Bihar respectively will become vacant while six seats will become unoccupied in Tamil Nadu in July, with Congress lacking the numbers to gain even a single seat in these assemblies.

Once Modi government secures the coveted majority in the upper house, they will look to push for the Triple Talaq bill and amendments to the Citizenship Act.