English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest Politics News

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

Published

8 years ago

on

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.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

India News

Mamata beater Suvendu Adhikari set to become next West Bengal CM

Suvendu Adhikari emerged as the BJP’s choice for West Bengal Chief Minister after the party’s legislature meeting in Kolkata following its historic Assembly election victory.

Published

11 hours ago

on

May 8, 2026

By

Suvendu-Adhikari

Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is set to become the next Chief Minister of West Bengal after being elected leader of the BJP legislature party during a key meeting in Kolkata on Thursday.

The development comes days after the BJP secured a decisive victory in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, ending the Trinamool Congress’ long rule in the state. Party leaders met in the presence of senior central leadership to finalise the chief ministerial face ahead of the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for May 9.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the legislature party meeting where Adhikari’s name was formally announced. Reports said the BJP leadership backed him after he emerged as the party’s strongest face in Bengal politics over the past few years.

Adhikari played a major role in the BJP’s campaign across the state and remained one of the party’s most aggressive leaders against the ruling Trinamool Congress. He also defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur during the Assembly elections, strengthening his position within the party.

The BJP’s victory is being viewed as a major political shift in West Bengal, where the party is set to form its first government. Adhikari, once a senior Trinamool Congress leader, had joined the BJP before the 2021 Assembly elections and later became Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.

Following the announcement, celebrations were reported outside Adhikari’s residence in East Midnapore, with party workers distributing sweets and raising slogans in support of the BJP leader.

The swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP government is expected to take place in Kolkata on May 9, where Adhikari will officially assume charge as the Chief Minister of West Bengal.

Continue Reading

India News

Suvendu Adhikari emerges frontrunner for Bengal Chief Minister post

Suvendu Adhikari has emerged as the leading candidate for the West Bengal Chief Minister post as BJP prepares to form its first government in the state. Reports suggest the new cabinet may also include two deputy chief ministers.

Published

16 hours ago

on

May 8, 2026

By

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has emerged as the leading contender for the post of Chief Minister in West Bengal as the party prepares to form its first government in the state following its Assembly election victory.

The BJP legislature party is scheduled to meet in Kolkata to elect its leader, a decision that is expected to formally determine the next Chief Minister. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Kolkata ahead of the meeting and is overseeing the selection process.

Sources cited in media reports suggest the new BJP-led government may also appoint two deputy chief ministers, a post that has remained vacant in West Bengal for nearly two decades. One of the deputy CM positions could reportedly go to a woman leader. BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul is among the names being discussed for the role.

Another deputy chief minister could be chosen from north Bengal, with former Union minister Nisith Pramanik being seen as a possible contender, according to reports. There is also speculation that the BJP leadership may consider a representative from the tribal community for a senior cabinet role.

Adhikari, who played a key role in the BJP’s election campaign, defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur during the recently concluded Assembly elections. The BJP secured a two-thirds majority in the 294-member Assembly, paving the way for its first government in West Bengal.

The swearing-in ceremony for the new government is expected to take place on May 9 in Kolkata. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and several senior BJP leaders are expected to attend the event.

Continue Reading

India News

West Bengal BJP government set for oath ceremony as suspense over new CM continues

The BJP is preparing to form its first government in West Bengal after securing a massive Assembly election victory, with the new Chief Minister expected to be chosen during a legislature party meeting in Kolkata.

Published

20 hours ago

on

May 8, 2026

By

The Bharatiya Janata Party is preparing to form its first government in West Bengal after its decisive victory in the 2026 Assembly elections. The swearing-in ceremony of the new government is scheduled for May 9 in Kolkata, while suspense continues over the party’s Chief Ministerial choice.

According to reports, the BJP legislature party is expected to meet on Friday in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to elect its leader formally. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and several senior BJP leaders are likely to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has emerged as the frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post following the BJP’s strong performance in the elections. Other names reportedly under consideration include Samik Bhattacharya, Sukanta Majumdar and Swapan Dasgupta.

The political developments come a day after Governor RN Ravi dissolved the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and state cabinet following the completion of the Assembly election process. The dissolution order was issued under Article 174(2)(b) of the Constitution after outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declined to submit her resignation despite the Trinamool Congress losing power.

The BJP secured a clear majority in the 294-member Assembly, ending the Trinamool Congress’ 15-year rule in the state. The election outcome marks a major political shift in West Bengal, where the BJP is set to form a government for the first time.

Preparations for the swearing-in ceremony are underway at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, where senior BJP leaders and party supporters are expected to gather for the event.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com