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BJP expands its lead as single largest party in Rajya Sabha, but no majority yet

Published

9 years ago

March 24, 2018

BJP expands its lead as single largest party in Rajya Sabha, but no majority yet

Bagging 28 of the 58 Rajya Sabha seats for which elections were held on Friday, March 23, the BJP further consolidated its position as the single largest party in the upper house of Parliament.

The BJP has added 11 more seats to its tally – the term of 17 of its Rajya Sabha MPs was coming to an end in April

The BJP’s strength in the 245-member House will go from the existing 58 to 69 and that of the Congress will fall from 54 to 50 when the new MPs take oath next week. However, a majority in the Council of States will continue to elude the BJP-led NDA which recently suffered a setback with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP, its ally of four years having six seats in the house, deciding to part ways.

Polling was held on Friday for 25 of the 58 seats that fall vacant in April. Nominees to the other 33 seats were declared elected unopposed on March 15, the last day of withdrawal of nomination of candidates. Seventeen of BJP nominees were among these 33. These included seven union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar. The Congress had won four, the Biju Janata Dal three, the RJD, JD-U and TDP two each and the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the YSR Congress one each.

The BJP won 12 of the 25 seats that saw voting on Friday, nine from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Karnataka.

Of the total 58 seats falling vacant in April, the BJP won 28, the Congress nine, Trinamool four, TRS and BJD three each, JD-U, TDP and RJD two each and Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena, NCP and YSR Congress one each.

Among the seats that went up for voting, all eyes had been on the 10 in Uttar Pradesh (UP), where a nail-biting contest saw BJP secure nine seats. While its victory on eight seats was clear and a foregone conclusion, it managed to bag the ninth where it foiled the bid by the BSP-SP-Congress combine to get a BSP candidate elected amid high drama and cross-voting allegations.

While the BSP candidate Bhimrao Ambedkar got 33 votes – short by four – in the first preference votes against 22 of the BJP, the ruling party nominee was declared winner on the basis of second preference votes. The votes of SP MLA Nitin Agarwal and Anil Singh of the BSP, who cross voted in favour of the BJP, were declared invalid.

The SP candidate Jaya Bachchan won the remaining one seat.

Besides BJP’s prominent winner, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, others from the party who made it to the upper house of Parliament from UP are Ashok Bajpai, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, Sakal Deep Rajbhar, Kanta Kardam, Anil Jain, Harnath Singh Yadav, GVL Narasimha Rao, and the ninth candidate Anil Kumar Agarwal, who pulled off a surprise win with the help of second preference votes.

In Jharkhand, the BJP’s Sameer Uranv and the Congress’s Dheeraj Sahu won the two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand, said media reports. The Congress retained the seat it held earlier while the BJP gained one at the expense of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. The Congress fashioned a dramatic victory, winning despite having only seven votes. The Congress’ candidate, Dheeraj Sahu, defeated the BJP’s Pradeep Sonthalia by a fraction of a value of votes, after the Election Commission took into consideration the second preference votes of three BJP MLAs, NDTV reported.

In Karnataka, BJP’s Rajeev Chandrashekar was declared a winner along with Congress’s L Hanumanthaiah, Syed Naseer Hussain and GC Chandrasekhar, amidst a complaint and boycott by JD(S). The Congress thus won three of the four seats. BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar polled the highest votes, with 50 legislators supporting his candidature, Mint reported.

BJP national general secretary Saroj Pandey won the lone Rajya Sabha seat for which polling was held in Chhattisgarh, defeating Congress rival Lekhram Sahu.

The ruling parties in Telangana and West Bengal also did well, said media reports. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s B Prakash, B Lingaiah Yadav and J Santosh Kumar won, the Trinamool Congress bagged four seats in West Bengal. The Congress’ Abhishek Manu Singhvi won the fifth seat in West Bengal with Trinamool’s help.

In Kerala, Veerendra Kumar of the Sharad Yadav-led faction of the Janata Dal (United) won the one seat that was contested. The Left Democratic Front backed him. The seat had fallen vacant after Kumar resigned from the Upper House in December after the JD(U), headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, joined the National Democratic Alliance.

While the BJP-led NDA is still short of a majority in Rajya Sabha, BJP’s political managers are upbeat, sensing that a fall in Congress’s numbers and other vocal opposition parties like the Samajwadi Party will help their agenda in Rajya Sabha.

Parties like AIADMK, TRS and YSR Congress, which will have a combined strength of about 21 after new members take oath, have often supported the government’s legislative agenda in the Rajya Sabha. The TDP, which recently quit NDA, may also not be beyond influence.

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New UP Congress chief Aradhana Mishra backs stronger alliance with SP

Newly appointed UP Congress chief Aradhana Mishra said the party would strengthen its alliance with the Samajwadi Party ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.

Published

4 hours ago

October 3, 2026

APNLive Desk

Newly appointed Uttar Pradesh Congress president Aradhana Mishra, also known as Mona, has said the party will take its alliance with the Samajwadi Party forward with full strength ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.

Mishra, the daughter of Congress MP Pramod Tiwari, has been given the responsibility of leading the party’s state unit as Congress prepares for the assembly polls due in around six months, according to the report.

Speaking about Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Mishra described the SP as a strong partner of the Congress in the INDIA bloc.

“The Samajwadi Party is a partner of ours in the INDIA bloc, and a strong one at that,” she said, while praising the way Akhilesh Yadav has strengthened his party.

Aradhana Mishra backs Congress-SP alliance

Mishra referred to the performance of the INDIA bloc in the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh while discussing the alliance’s prospects for the next assembly election.

The INDIA bloc won 43 of Uttar Pradesh’s 80 Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 election, according to the report.

Mishra said the alliance had stopped the BJP’s advance in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and expressed confidence that the partnership would produce results in the 2027 Assembly election.

“We will take this alliance forward with full strength,” she said.

The new state Congress chief will also have to advance seat-sharing discussions with the Samajwadi Party. The report said Congress wants a larger share of seats, while the SP has not indicated a willingness to give ground, arguing that it is in a stronger position in the state.

Congress announces new UP team

The leadership change is part of a wider organisational reshuffle by the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.

Along with appointing Mishra as state Congress president, the party named Rajya Sabha MP Imran Masood as working president. Chaudhary Virendra Singh was appointed Leader of the Congress Legislature Party.

Devinder Nishad and Alok Prasad were also appointed senior vice presidents of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.

The new appointments bring different social groups into prominent positions in the state organisation. Mishra is a Brahmin, Masood is a Muslim and Rajendra Pal Gautam, the Congress’ AICC in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, is a Dalit, the report said.

Mishra, however, said the Congress does not practise caste or religion-based politics.

She said the party wanted to strengthen the country, protect the Constitution and build a strong alternative ahead of the 2027 election.

Mishra’s challenge ahead of 2027 polls

As the new Uttar Pradesh Congress chief, Mishra will be responsible for strengthening the party’s organisation in the state while also taking forward its alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

The Congress and SP are part of the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh. With seat-sharing discussions ahead of the 2027 Assembly election, Mishra’s comments indicate that the Congress intends to continue working with the Samajwadi Party.

The appointment of Mishra comes alongside other organisational changes aimed at preparing the party for the upcoming assembly election.

India News

BJP may drop over 100 UP MLAs, focus shifts to voters and fix internal rifts

The BJP is considering major changes to its Uttar Pradesh candidates, with more than 100 sitting MLAs potentially facing ticket cuts as the party works to address internal rifts and voter concerns.

Published

2 days ago

October 1, 2026

APNLive Desk

The BJP is preparing a major organisational and electoral strategy in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly election, with the party considering dropping more than 100 sitting MLAs from its candidate list.

The proposed changes are part of a broader effort to address internal differences within the party, strengthen its organisation and reconnect with voters across the state.

BJP’s plan for Uttar Pradesh

The party’s strategy involves reviewing the performance and prospects of its sitting legislators before deciding on candidates for the next Assembly election. More than 100 MLAs could potentially be denied tickets as part of the exercise.

The focus is also on resolving internal rifts and improving coordination within the organisation. The BJP is looking to address issues that emerged during the 2024 Lok Sabha election and strengthen its connect with voters.

The party’s review comes as it prepares for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, where it will seek to strengthen its position across the state.

Focus on internal differences and voters

Along with changes to its pool of candidates, the BJP is working on repairing differences within the organisation.

The party’s strategy places emphasis on reconnecting with voters and understanding issues at the ground level. Leaders and workers are expected to focus on strengthening the party’s presence among voters as preparations for the Assembly election continue.

The approach reflects the BJP’s effort to draw lessons from its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and make organisational changes ahead of the next major electoral contest in Uttar Pradesh.

Candidate changes under consideration

The possibility of dropping over 100 sitting MLAs would represent a significant change in the BJP’s candidate strategy in the state. However, the final decision on individual tickets will depend on the party’s assessment and the selection process.

The BJP is therefore combining a review of its sitting legislators with efforts to resolve internal differences and rebuild its connection with voters as it prepares for the 2027 polls.

India News

PM Modi speaks to Trump, reviews India-US trade and defence ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with US President Donald Trump and reviewed India-US bilateral cooperation, including trade and defence.

Published

3 days ago

September 30, 2026

APNLive Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday and reviewed key areas of India-US bilateral cooperation, including trade and defence.

The conversation came as the two countries continue discussions on strengthening their broader partnership, with economic and strategic issues forming an important part of the engagement.

Modi, Trump discuss key areas of bilateral cooperation

During the phone conversation, Modi and Trump reviewed cooperation between India and the United States across several areas.

Trade and defence were among the key subjects discussed by the two leaders. Their conversation also covered energy and emerging technologies, reflecting the broad scope of the India-US partnership.

The two leaders also discussed issues linked to regional and global peace and security.

Had a productive conversation with President Trump. We reviewed our bilateral cooperation in trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas. We agreed to maintain close engagement to take our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership forward.

We also exchanged…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 30, 2026

India-US trade talks continue

The conversation took place amid ongoing trade discussions between India and the United States.

India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is visiting the US from September 29 to October 5 for discussions related to an interim trade agreement and the possibility of a broader bilateral trade deal.

The talks are aimed at advancing trade engagement between the two countries as officials work towards an agreement that is described as balanced and mutually beneficial.

Defence and strategic cooperation

Defence cooperation was another area reviewed by Modi and Trump during their conversation.

India and the US have developed broader cooperation across defence and strategic sectors, and the latest discussion included the two countries’ continuing engagement in this area.

Energy and emerging technologies were also part of the leaders’ discussion, underlining the range of issues covered during the phone call.

Modi-Trump discuss regional and global issues

Beyond bilateral matters, Modi and Trump also discussed regional and global peace and security.

The conversation comes as India and the US continue to engage on issues extending beyond their bilateral relationship.

The latest phone call is part of the continuing engagement between the two leaders on strengthening cooperation across trade, defence and other areas of mutual interest.