Despite Bihar thunder, NDA to lag behind Oppn in Rajya Sabha for some time

Interest is centred around seat held by Congress leader Ahmed Patel, which BJP is trying to snatch

IANS  |  New Delhi 

Parliament. Photo: PTI
Parliament. Photo: PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have gained Bihar and may snatch a seat in but the Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition headed by it will still lag behind the opposition in the for some time to come.

Interest is centred around the seat held by President Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel, which the is trying to snatch.

Six MLAs have already ditched the party and one of them, Balwantsinh Rajput, has been pitted against Patel in the August 8 election. In case more MLAs defect, Patel's fate may be sealed, which will give the one more seat in the

The has already grabbed one seat in Goa from the after its Vinay Tendulkar defeated Congress' Shantaram Naik in the poll.

Since the 2014 victory in the polls, the has a Prime Minister whose party has a majority on its own in the for the first time in 30 years, a President of its choice and possibly may also get a Vice-President it picked.

But to have a majority in the Rajya Sabha, the party may have to wait for the next round of elections for the

In the House of 245, the has 57 members. Along with allies, the accounts for 101 members. This includes 13 of the AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam).

On the opposition side, the has 57 on its own. The others opposed to the government are 66 in number. Together the opposition accounts for 123 members.

To this figure could be added at least one (Janata Dal-United) MP M P Veerendra Kumar, who has opposed the tie up between the and his party in Bihar. He has announced he will vote for the Opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi in the August 5 Vice-Presidential election.

Of the other nine MPs, speculation is rife about how senior leader Sharad Yadav and another MP, Ali Anwar, will vote. Like Veerendra Kumar, Anwar has also opposed the tie up in Bihar.

Those not committed to either side account for 13. They include 8 MPs of (Biju Janata Dal), 3 MP of (Telangana Rashtra Samiti), 1 MP of INLD (Indian Lok Dal) and 1 MP of (YSR Party). These parties voted with the ruling combine in the President's election. The BJD, however, has decided to back Gandhi for the Vice-President's post.

There are six independents, most of whom side with the government.

There are two vacancies in the including the one left vacant by the resignation of BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) chief

The benches will be strengthened by the presence of party chief Amit Shah, who is sure to get elected from along central minister Smriti Irani.

The is also set to win a seat in Madhya Pradesh in the vacancy caused by the death of Union Minister Anil Madhav Dave. It has fielded tribal leader Sampatiya Uike as its candidate.

The Vice-President's election on August 5 will be a litmus test for the rebels on how they vote. It also remains to be seen whether the as a whole will vote for Gandhi, as it had announced before embracing the in Bihar.

Now that the is a ally, analysts are wondering which way it will go in the Gandhi-Naidu battle.

In West Bengal, where elections to six seats are being held, the Trinamool (TMC) is set to secure five and the remaining one is sure to go to the The loser will be the (Communist Party India-Marxist) whose strength will come down in the from 8 to 7.