With the result of the latest round of biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha, the BJP-led NDA has further widened its gap with the Opposition in the Upper House of Parliament, with the BJP now having 86 seats, while rival Congress is down to 41. The National Democratic Alliance now has nearly 100 members in the 245-member House. If the support of friendly parties like the AIADMK (9 seats), BJD (9 seats), YSR Congress Party (6 seats), and several allied nominated members and smaller parties is counted, then the Modi government is unlikely to face any serious numerical challenge in the House.
The Election Commission had announced biennial polls to 61 seats, including 55 in March, but the process was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With 42 members elected unopposed earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party won eight, Congress and the YSR Congress won four each and others won three of the 19 seats that went to polls on June 19 this year. According to official sources,n total, the BJP won 17, Congress nine,JDU got three, BJD and the TMC four each, AIADMK and DMK three each, NCP, RJD and the TRS two each, and others got the remaining seats.
Out of the 61 new members, 43 are first-timers, which include BJP's Jyotiraditya Scindia and Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge. Both have been members of Lok Sabha, but lost from their constituencies in the 2019 general elections. Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambi Durai have also been elected to the Rajya Sabha. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Chief Shibu Soren also elected to RS this time.
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