The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has begun preparations to decide candidates for the vacant 12 Rajya Sabha seats which will go to polls on September 3.
The polls are of particular importance for the BJP which is expected to add at least 11 seats to its kitty. This will increase the ruling alliance’s strength in the upper house from 105 to 116. Of the current NDA members, 87 are from the BJP.
Rajya Sabha has 12 nominated members of which four are currently vacant. The government may nominate new members soon. The nominated members usually vote in favour of the government.
The other four seats are in Jammu and Kashmir, which doesn’t have an assembly. Those vacancies are likely to be filled once assembly polls are held in the next few months.
After these polls, the NDA will be closer to the majority. However, this is not of much concern for the government as some of the non-aligned parties may help it in case of crucial bills either by voting in favour or abstaining, which will lower the majority mark.
The key in these polls will be the candidates picked up by the BJP. It may accommodate some of its allies to help them reach the Rajya Sabha. The BJP is likely to allot one of the two seats in Bihar to Upendra Kushwaha while in Maharashtra, one seat may be given to the NCP.
The BJP wants these crucial allies to continue part of the NDA grouping. The choice of candidates in Haryana and Maharashtra will also be important as assembly polls are due in these states in the next two months.
The BJP will have to nominate Ravneet Singh Bittu and George Kurian for Rajya Sabha as these two leaders were inducted into the union cabinet despite losing the Lok Sabha polls. These two Ministers of State, who belong to the minority community, are not currently members of any house.
The BJP may also reward some of its workers, leaders who could then be given key assignments, including ministerial. The government needs more experienced hands to choose from when the next reshuffle happens.
The seats are vacant in Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tripura, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Odisha.