New Delhi: Despite the victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party would not be able to muster sufficient strength in the Rajya Sabha.
The party may win more MPs in the ensuing elections to the Rajya Sabha, but would not have majority till the government completes its tenure in 2019.
This means that the party would need the support of the opposition for clearing important bills in the Rajya Sabha again. In the 245-member Upper House, the BJP and the National Democratic Alliance constituents together have only 74 members. It requires 123 members for gaining majority.
Arising vacancies
As many as 10 seats Rajya Sabha seats would fall vacant this year. Of the two seats from Gujarat, the BJP would get one. As many as 69 seats, including 10 from Uttar Pradesh and 14 other states would become vacant next year.
The BJP would get 12 seats, including the eight from Uttar Pradesh. At present, the BJP has only three members from Uttar Pradesh, Defense minister Manohar Parikkar, Shivaprasad Shukla and Vinay Katiyar.
Present scenario
As many as 57 lawmakers of various parties are presently opposing the BJP in the Rajya Sabha.
Eight parties are not taking any sides and six members are independents.
Eight members of the Janata Dal often come to the help of the BJP and 12 are nominated members.
Almost all the members came to the Upper House during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance led by the Congress.
The tenure of three of them - Anu Agra, K.Parasaran and Sachin Tendulkar - will be over by 2018.
When Dr. Manmhoan Singh was the prime minister, the UPA did not enjoy majority in the Rajya Sabha. They managed to pass a number of bills through consensus and also with the cooperation of the opposition.
Once the NDA government failed to evolve a consensus with the opposition, it passed two important Bills by including it in the list of Money Bills.
Such Bills only need the ratification of the Lok Sabha. The government passed the Aadhar and IT Bills in 2016 in this mode.