With the results of recent by-polls for 12 Rajya Sabha seats, for the first time the NDA is getting a simple majority in the Rajya Sabha. This makes the support of YCP to the BJP irrelevant in the upper house. As the TDP support in Lok Sabha is crucial for the survival of Narendra Modi government, the YCP hereafter may not be in a position to bring pressure on the Center against the TDP-led state government.
During the last five years, though YCP is not a constituency of NDA, it has been extending `unconditional’ support in both the houses of Parliament. Especially since the election of the President and Vice President, remaining a close ally of the BJP and also supported its controversial bills like three agricultural reforms bills. In return, the Modi government has been coming to the aid of YCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy with regard to CBI and ED cases against him or coming to the rescue of his government from financial crisis.
Several TDP leaders even alleged last year that only with the support of the BJP government at the center, the YCP government dared to arrest TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu. As YCP still having 11 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, it felt as the BJP needed their support for the passage of bills, they can continue as part of their coterie.
But, in the by-polls to 12 Rajya Sabha seats, BJP and its supporters are winning in as many as 11 seats. All seats became unanimous and Congress is winning only one seat from Telangana. This makes NDA strength reach 119, crossing the half-way mark in the 238-seat Rajya Sabha.
This will facilitate the BJP-led government to get it passed all of its bills in the upper house. Now, even BJP no longer needed BJD’s support also, as it has recently announced they will be in opposition from now onwards, with its 9 members in the Rajya Sabha.
After the results of the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections, the strength of the BJP will reach 96 MPs, while the strength of the Congress will reach 27. Trinamool Congress has 13 seats, AAP 10, DMK 10 and RJD 5 seats. YCP has 11 seats and BJD has 9 seats. If you look at the opposition INDIA block, it seems that there are 88 MPs.