Rajya Sabha elections: After BJP’s wins, what is the party-wise composition of the Upper House?

Meanwhile, as many as 41 candidates were declared winners unopposed last week. The biennial elections for the total 56 Rajya Sabha seats were necessitated as 50 members will finish their term on April 2, and six will retire on April 3.

After the wins on 27 February, the following is the party-wise composition of the Upper House:

• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – 97
• Congress – 29
• Trinamool Congress (TMC) – 13
• Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) – 10
• Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) -10
• Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) – 9
• Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) – 7
• Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) – 6
• Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) – 5
• All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)  – 4
• Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) – 4
• Samajwadi Party – 4
• Vacant – 5

With the NDA up to 117 members, they need four more members to make up the majority in the Upper House. The majority mark in the 245-member Rajya Sabha is 123. However, five seats are vacant — four in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been under the President’s Rule, and one in the nominated member category, the strength of the House is reduced to 240 and the majority mark to 121.

The Rajya Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh, UP and Karnataka are an acid test for the parties in the lead up to the Lok Sabha elections which are likely to be announced next month.

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