Akhilesh Yadav congratulates Nitish, Tejashwi on taking oath as Bihar CM, Dy CMNew Delhi, Aug 10: With Janata Dal (United)'s exit from the BJP in Bihar, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has suffered a small setback in Rajya Sabha.
Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), has five MPs including Deputy Chairperson Harivansh in Rajya Sabha.
The NDA did not have a majority in the upper house even when the JD(U) was part of it.
With JD(U) snapping ties, the BJP-led national coalition will now be dependent on other neutral parties such as Odisha's Biju Janata Dal, or BJD, and Andhra Pradesh's YSR Congress Party, or YSRCP, to push crucial bills through the upper house.
Akhilesh Yadav congratulates Nitish, Tejashwi on taking oath as Bihar CM, Dy CM
The current strength of Rajya Sabha is 237. As many as four seats from Jammu and Kashmir, and one from Tripura are still vacant.
After the JD(U) left the scene, the NDA's number has been reduced to 109, or 10 short of the majority mark.
The government can nominate three more MPs before the winter session and the BJP is expected to win the Tripura seat, whenever the election takes place.
Even then, the NDA's strength will be 113, which will still be short of the new halfway mark of 121.
The BJP will need the support of the BJD and the YSRCP - which has nine MPs each - on crucial bills.