The Bharatiya Janata Party has swept clean India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, by gaining a three-fourth majority in the 2017 state Assembly elections. The massive win will help the National Democratic Alliance in the presidential polls in June this year.
The BJP is keen on putting its nominee as the presidential candidate and the party is giving its best shot at putting its candidate on the big chair. The arithmetic has changed with the poll results and the BJP is in a comfortable position after today's win in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
In the presidential elections, both MPs and MLAs vote. With a big win in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and decent shows in assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Assam, and other states, the NDA is at an advantage. The BJP is leading in over 300 seats in Uttar Pradesh and in 58 seats in Uttarakhand.
| The Rajya Sabha numbers | |
| Party | Strength |
| Indian National Congress | 59 |
| Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) | 56 |
| Samajwadi Party | 18 |
| All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK) | 13 |
| Trinamool Congress (TMC) | 11 |
| Janata Dal (United) | 10 |
| Others | 78 |
| Total | 245 |
| As on March 11, 2017; Two seats are vacant, 12 members are nominated Source: rajyasabha.nic.in | |
Uttar Pradesh sends Rajya Sabha 31 MPs, Uttarakhand three, Goa and Manipur send one each, and Punjab seven.
The electoral college for the election of the President of India consists of 4,896 legislators: 776 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, and 4,120 MLAs. While the value of MPs' votes is uniform, it varies for MLAs according to the population of the state as estimated during the 1971 census.
The Rajya Sabha MP is elected by MLAs of the particular state by voting.
Before the state assembly elections in five states, apart from 282 Lok Sabha members, the BJP has had its highest ever tally of 1,126 MLAs across the country. In contrast, rival Congress has shrunk to 44 MPs in the Lok Sabha and less than 900 MLAs.
The tenure of 10 MPs from Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand is going to end in 2018. Even the tenure of four nominated MPs will end in 2018. This will only help the BJP to push its candidates in Rajya Sabha where it lacks majority and will help in the passage of crucial bills.
This year elections will be held in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The tenure of four Rajya Sabha MPs from Gujarat and one from Himachal will also end in 2018. A good show by the BJP in these states will only help in pushing its agendas and policies.
In 2018, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh will go to votes. The tenure of four Rajya Sabha MPs from Karnataka, five from Madhya Pradesh, four from Rajasthan and one from Chhattisgarh will end in 2018.
Riding high on the Narendra Modi wave and already having a strong presence in most of the states, the BJP is likely to increase its tally in the Upper House of Parliament.