As new RS MPs take oath, nos. tilt further towards NDA NEW DELHI: With newly elected Rajya Sabha members taking oath on Monday, the numbers in the House have become more favourable towards BJP-led NDA, and it now has a real chance of pulling off a two-thirds majority in the House in case govt makes a fresh push for passage of its ambitious Constitution amendment bill to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha and roll out onethird quota for women from the next general election, reports Kumar Rakesh. NDA now has 141 MPs in the 242-member RS and can count on the support of 10 nominated and Independent MPs, taking its assured tally to 151, well above the simple majority but still 11 short of atwo-thirds majority.Two regional parties not aligned to either NDA or opposition INDIA bloc — BJD (5) and YSR (4) — have often backed govt’s key legislative agenda in the past. Their support will take NDA’s tally to 160 in the Rajya Sabha. Whenever bypolls to fill three vacancies from West Bengal are held, BJP is all but certain to grab them due to its dominant numbers in the assembly. This will take NDA’s strength to 163 in the full RS of 245 MPs, in which the two-thirds mark will be 164. With TMC rebels claiming that more RS members of the party may resign, NDA will be more than hopeful of reaching the magic figure. Govt faces a bigger challenge in the Lok Sabha, even though the rebellion in two opposition parties, including Trinamool Congress, which had the fourth largest contingent of 28 MPs, coupled with DMK’s break-up with Congress, has boosted NDA’s hopes. If Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla recognises the merger of 20 rebel TMC MPs with Nationalist Citizens Party of India and of 6 rebel Sena UBT members with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, NDA’s tally will receive a big boost, though it will still fall well short of the required 360 in the 540-member Lok Sabha, which has three vacancies.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosAre We Learning Nothing From Deadly Fire Accidents Across India? Experts Sound AlarmSarla Bhat Murder Case: SIA Files 737-Page Chargesheet, Yasin Malik Named Main AccusedWhat West Bengal’s New Public Safety and Anti-Goonda Bill Means and Why It Is ControversialSonam Wangchuk Begins Indefinite Fast, Urges Nation To Join Education Reform MovementBengal BJP Govt Rolls Back OBC Quota Hike, Scraps 113 Groups Added Under TMCPM Modi To Skip Khamenei Funeral; Bihar Governor, MoS External Affairs To Represent India: Report’In 3 Or 6 Months’: Stalin Predicts Early Polls, Says Vijay-led TVK Govt May Not Last Full TermExplained: Why The Akal Takht Has Summoned 87 Sikh Legislators Over Punjab’s Anti-Sacrilege LawIndia’s First Integrated Battle Groups Explained: A New Era of Border Readiness32 Years After the Pact, Rajasthan Finally Set to Get Yamuna Water from Haryana123PhotostoriesTop 10 countries with the best cuisines in the world5 towns in America where it feels like time stopped 100 years agoThese 5 Zodiac Signs Can Read You in SecondsBTS’ V proves red is the new power colour for Celine at Paris Fashion Week 2026Mothers often put their heart health last: Doctors explain why that’s a mistakeThe hidden impact of “ghost fat”: Understanding body image after major weight lossPsychology says people who don’t have many close friends may be more selective in love, and that’s not always a bad thing10 timeless baby girl names inspired by courageous women warriors in history4 secrets the happiest couples you meet are hiding from youVande Bharat routes under ₹1,500: From Goa to Kerala, these budget trips are worth every rupee123Hot PicksIreland CoachKerala HSCAP third allotment listGermany VS ParaguayFIFA world cup 2026Ketan Agarwal murder caseMumbai monsoonFIFA World Cup Round of ScheduleUS Strike on IranVaibhav SooryavanshiTop TrendingRam Mandir Donation TheftSimone BilesNoida fireFIFA World Cup 2026CBSE Three language GuidelinesBengaluru TechieAnukalp MishraSergei IvanovMK StalinMumbai Local Train News
NEW DELHI: With newly elected Rajya Sabha members taking oath on Monday, the numbers in the House have become more favourable towards BJP-led NDA, and it now has a real chance of pulling off a two-thirds majority in the House in case govt makes a fresh push for passage of its ambitious Constitution amendment bill to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha and roll out onethird quota for women from the next general election, reports Kumar Rakesh. NDA now has 141 MPs in the 242-member RS and can count on the support of 10 nominated and Independent MPs, taking its assured tally to 151, well above the simple majority but still 11 short of atwo-thirds majority.Two regional parties not aligned to either NDA or opposition INDIA bloc — BJD (5) and YSR (4) — have often backed govt’s key legislative agenda in the past. Their support will take NDA’s tally to 160 in the Rajya Sabha. Whenever bypolls to fill three vacancies from West Bengal are held, BJP is all but certain to grab them due to its dominant numbers in the assembly. This will take NDA’s strength to 163 in the full RS of 245 MPs, in which the two-thirds mark will be 164. With TMC rebels claiming that more RS members of the party may resign, NDA will be more than hopeful of reaching the magic figure. Govt faces a bigger challenge in the Lok Sabha, even though the rebellion in two opposition parties, including Trinamool Congress, which had the fourth largest contingent of 28 MPs, coupled with DMK’s break-up with Congress, has boosted NDA’s hopes. If Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla recognises the merger of 20 rebel TMC MPs with Nationalist Citizens Party of India and of 6 rebel Sena UBT members with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, NDA’s tally will receive a big boost, though it will still fall well short of the required 360 in the 540-member Lok Sabha, which has three vacancies.
