The BJP is closing in on a standalone majority in the Rajya Sabha, needing only six more seats to reach the 123-mark in the 245-member House. The development has drawn attention ahead of Parliament’s monsoon session beginning on July 20.
The shift is linked to political churn in West Bengal following the April Assembly election, where the BJP registered a major victory and the Trinamool Congress faced internal fractures. As part of this realignment, Trinamool Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Barik resigned and joined the BJP, and were immediately named as the party’s candidates for the vacant Upper House seats.
With their victories described as virtually assured, the BJP’s Rajya Sabha strength is expected to rise to 117—its highest so far—once the three members enter the House. The NDA’s overall tally is projected to increase to 152, strengthening the ruling coalition’s position ahead of a politically significant session.
The monsoon session is expected to see the Union government bring key constitutional amendment bills, including proposals related to delimitation, women’s reservation and holding simultaneous elections. While the NDA does not have the two-thirds support required for constitutional amendments, the report notes the government is looking to secure issue-based backing from other parties or benefit from reduced voting strength if some parties stay away, thereby lowering the effective threshold needed during voting.
