Rajya Sabha Elections 2024: BJP’s Dominance Solidifies as NDA Inches Closer to Upper House Majority Mark
NDA Comes Up Just Four Seats Short Of The 121 Majority Mark In The Upper House After Winning 30 More Rajya Sabha Seats
New Delhi, 28-02-2024 : The recent Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday saw significant gains for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), securing a total of 30 seats, 20 of which were won unopposed, out of the 56 seats contested. This victory boosts the BJP’s presence in the Upper House to 97 seats and propels the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to a tally of 117 seats, just four shy of the majority mark of 121 in the 240-member House once all 56 newly elected members are sworn in.
Out of the 56 Rajya Sabha seats set to fall vacant in April, the BJP clinched a substantial portion by securing 30 seats, with 20 won uncontested and 10 through elections held on Tuesday. The electoral process, however, witnessed instances of cross-voting in the polls for 15 seats across three states, resulting in the BJP securing 10 seats, the Congress three, and the Samajwadi Party two seats.
The BJP emerged as the primary beneficiary of the biennial elections, capturing an additional seat in Uttar Pradesh and securing another in Himachal Pradesh. These elections were necessitated as 50 members were set to complete their terms on April 2, with an additional six retiring on April 3.
Prior to the polling day, the ruling NDA held 109 seats in the Upper House, falling short of the halfway mark in the 238-member Rajya Sabha by 10 members, while the Opposition INDIA bloc held 89 seats.
Uttar Pradesh witnessed the highest number of seats up for grabs, with 10, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar with six each, and other states with varying numbers of seats. However, following the outcome of the elections, the BJP retained its status as the single-largest party in the Rajya Sabha, boasting 97 members (including five nominated members who joined the party), while the Congress secured 29 seats.
Other parties also secured notable representation, with the Trinamool Congress holding 13 seats, the DMK and AAP with 10 seats each, and various regional parties with varying seat counts. With the NDA’s current tally standing at 117 members, the alliance is now only four seats short of the majority mark of 121, setting the stage for a closely watched political landscape in the Upper House.
