With nearly 100 members, NDA widens gap with Opposition in Rajya Sabha© timesofindia.indiatimes.com

With nearly 100 members, NDA widens gap with Opposition in Rajya Sabha

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With the latest round of biennial polls to the Rajya Sabha over, the BJP-led NDA has further widened its gap with the Opposition in the House, with the saffron party now having 86 seats and rival Congress merely 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), BJD (9), YSR Congress Party (6), and several allied nominated members and smaller parties is counted, then the Modi government is unlikely to face any serious numerical challenge there.

The BJP has relied on its strength in the assemblies coupled with defection from other parties, especially the Congress, to boost its strength 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 novel coronavirus pandemic.

With 42 members elected unopposed earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party won eight, Congress and the YSR Congress four each and others three of the 19 seats that went to polls on Friday. The BJP won a couple of more seats than it could have on the strength of its numbers because of defection from several Congress legislators in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. In total, the BJP won 17, Congress nine, BJP ally JDU three, BJD and the TMC four each, AIADMK and DMK three each, NCP, RJD and the TRS two each, and others rest, official sources said.