The NDA now has 141 members in the 242-member House. With the support of 10 nominated and Independent members, who have generally voted with the government, its assured strength goes up to 151. That is well above the simple majority mark, but still 11 short of the two-thirds majority required in the current House.
The gap could narrow if the government secures the backing of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and YSR Congress Party, which together have nine members in the Rajya Sabha and have supported several key government bills in recent years. Their support would take the NDA’s tally to around 160.
The NDA’s numbers could improve further after bypolls are held to fill three vacant Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal. The vacancies arose after Trinamool Congress MPs resigned following the split in the party. With the BJP now enjoying a numerical advantage in the state assembly, it is expected to win all three seats. That would take the NDA’s strength to 163 in a full-strength House of 245 members, just one short of the 164 required for a two-thirds majority.
Any further changes in the composition of the House, including more resignations from opposition benches, could bring the ruling alliance within touching distance of that mark.
The numbers are less favourable for the NDA in the Lok Sabha. Even if Speaker Om Birla recognises the merger of 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India and six rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the alliance would still be well short of the 360 members needed for a two-thirds majority in the 540-member House, which currently has three vacancies.
(With inputs from TOI)
