NEW DELHI, APR 25 : The NDA received a major boost Friday as seven AAP MPs merged into the BJP, but the ruling alliance remains 18 MPs short of a two-thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha (163 needed out of 244 seats). With support from these MPs, the NDA now commands 145 seats in the Upper House, while the BJP edges closer to a simple majority at 122 with likely backing from seven nominated members and two independents.
Post-merger approval by Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan, the BJP’s tally will rise to 113 from 106. This shift strengthens the NDA’s hand for constitutional amendments, though it still lacks a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha (363 needed) despite holding a simple majority there.
The merger, comprising over two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha strength, was highlighted by AAP leader Sanjay Singh Chadha on X. He noted that seven MPs signed and submitted documents to the Chairman, handed over personally by him and two others.
This comes after the NDA’s rare defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill on April 17 in Lok Sabha, which aimed for 33% women’s reservation in legislatures by 2029 and expanding Lok Sabha seats to 816. It marked the first such loss for a constitutional bill under the current NDA government.
