NDA Rajya Sabha Numbers Rise to 115; BJP Emerges as Largest Party with 96 Seats

New Delhi: What can be termed as a good for the ruling National Democratic Alliance, the tally of NDA in the Rajya Sabha has increased to 115 with the unopposed election of 11 members. The 11 members include 9 from the Bharatiya Janata Party, two from its allies, the Janata Dal United and the NCP (Ajit Pawar). Notably, the alliance also has the support of six nominated members. Of the 12 vacancies that had arisen, the Congress bagged one seat from Telangana.

It is important to note that BJP is the single largest party in the Rajya Sabha. However, the ruling coalition is still short of the half-way mark of 119. Union minister of state for Minority Affairs, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, George Kurien are amongst the members who have been elected unopposed.

The ruling alliance also has the support of six nominated members and one independent member. With the extra seat for the Congress, Opposition numbers in the Upper House are at 85.

Among the BJP candidates elected unopposed are Ranjan Dass and Rameshwar Teli from Assam, Manan Kumar Mishra from Bihar, Kiran Chaudhary from Haryana, Dhirya Sheel Patil from Maharashtra, Mamata Mohanta from Odisha, Ravneet Singh Bittu from Rajasthan and Rajeev Bhattacharjee from Tripura.

Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi elected to Rajya Sabha from Telangana

Congress leader and senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi was on Tuesday elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Telangana in a bypoll. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Senior Vice President G Niranjan received the certificate of election on behalf of Singhvi from the returning officer.

An independent candidate had filed nomination for the bypoll but it was rejected during scrutiny.

Singhvi was the sole candidate in the fray and he was announced as elected on Tuesday, the last date for withdrawal of candidatures.

Singhvi had filed his nomination here on August 19. He was accompanied by Telangana Chief Minister and State Congress President A Revanth Reddy and other Congress leaders.