NDA Tightens Grip on Rajya Sabha with 21 Seats, Haryana Count Stalled

Top Summary

• What happened: The NDA secured 21 out of 37 Rajya Sabha seats in recent elections. The INDIA bloc secured 13.
• Why it matters: This strengthens the BJP's control in the Upper House, impacting the passage of key legislation.
• What changes for people: Potential shifts in policy direction are now more likely due to NDA's strengthened majority.
• Who is affected: Political parties across the spectrum, particularly those in the INDIA bloc, and the states where elections were held.

Rajya Sabha Elections: NDA Dominates

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has significantly increased its presence in the Rajya Sabha, winning 21 of the 37 seats up for grabs. This victory further consolidates the BJP's influence in the Upper House of Parliament.

The INDIA bloc managed to secure 13 seats. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won 1 seat. Counting for the remaining 2 Haryana seats has been temporarily stalled due to controversy.

Uncontested Victories

A significant number of candidates, 26 in total, were elected unopposed. This included seven from the BJP and one each from its allies.

Allies included Shiv Sena, the Republican Party of India (Athawale), NCP, AIADMK, Pattali Makkal Katchi and the United People's Party Liberal. The Congress saw five candidates elected unopposed.

The Trinamool Congress secured four seats without contest, the DMK three, and the NCP(SP) one.

Contested Seats: Odisha and Bihar

Elections were held for 11 seats, including two in Haryana, five in Bihar, and four in Odisha. Odisha witnessed a poll marred by allegations of violence and horse-trading.

In Odisha, the BJP secured two seats. An Independent candidate supported by the BJP won the third. The BJD managed to retain just one seat.

Dilip Ray, the BJP-backed independent, emerged victorious in the fourth contested seat, which also saw support for an Independent candidate from BJD, Congress and CPM.

Bihar's Electoral Drama

In Bihar, the NDA had the numbers to comfortably win four seats. The INDIA bloc failed to secure the fifth seat.

This was despite receiving support from the AIMIM and the BSP. Three Congress MLAs and one RJD MLA allegedly cross-voted.

 

"The counting has been completed, and as per the rules, the victory of the NDA candidates is confirmed. We knew that we had 35, we were six short of a majority and the NDA was three short. We chose to fight and not grovel or bow before them."

 

Tejashwi Yadav, Bihar Opposition leader, stated that the INDIA bloc was betrayed, costing them the seat despite securing the required six additional votes.

Former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the JDU and BJP president Nitin Nabin were both elected. The BJP and JDU each secured two seats, while their ally Rashtriya Lok Morcha gained one.

Haryana: Counting Stalled Amid Allegations

The counting process in Haryana has been stalled due to a tense contest between the Congress and a BJP-backed Independent candidate. The BJP has 48 MLAs.

They can elect their candidate Sanjay Bhatia. The Congress, supported by 37 MLAs, aims to elect Karamveer Boudh.

Satish Nandal, a former BJP Assembly poll candidate, is also contesting as an Independent. On Monday, allegations arose that two Congress MLAs showed their votes to unauthorized individuals.

A Congress delegation, led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi, visited the Election Commission office. The party filed a complaint alleging that returning officer Pankaj Aggarwal acted unjustly by entertaining complaints regarding privacy breaches without timely objections.

Boudh requested that the entire record, including video footage, be reviewed to ensure a fair decision.

What to Watch Next

The Election Commission's decision regarding the stalled count in Haryana will be critical. The INDIA bloc will likely strategize how to address cross-voting and maintain coalition unity moving forward.