Hours after the contentious Waqf Bill battle had a smooth crusing in the Lok Sabha early on Thursday, in which it was passed by 288-232 votes, the Bill is expected to get the Rajya Sabha’s approval later in the day.
However, the gap between the ruling BJP-led NDA and the Opposition can be narrower in the Upper House as compared to the Lok Sabha. That is, if all of the events which might be against the Bill participate in the discussion in complete power and vote towards the Bill with some of them not resorting to a tactical walkout.
Waqf Bill battle in Rajya Sabha
For the document, the NDA has numbers above the halfway mark in the Rajya Sabha, whose contemporary strength is 236 contributors with 9 vacancies (4 nominated, 4 in J&K and 1 in Andhra Pradesh). Thus, the current majority mark in the House stands at 119.
The BJP on my own has 98 members, which include two nominated members. Adding its NDA allies which includes the JD(U), TDP, NCP, Shiv Sena, RLD and parties like the AIADMK, the ruling camp’s numbers could cross as much as 122.
NDA edge out Oppn 130-106
While the JD(U) and the AIADMK have 4 contributors each, the NCP has 3, TDP 2, and events like the RPI (Athawale), JD(S), Asom Gana Parishad, PMK, Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), National People’s Party, Mizo National Front, United People’s Party (Liberal), RLD, Shiv Sena and Rashtriya Lok Morcha have 1 member each.
One independent member, Kartikeya Sharma from Haryana, might also support the BJP as he had received with its backing in Waqf Bill battle. Then there are 6 unattached nominated individuals, numerous of whom are probably to help the ruling coalition. These nominated participants are Ranjan Gogoi, Ilaiyaraaja, Dharmasthala Veerendra Heggade, P T Usha, V Vijayendra Prasad and Sudha Murthy.
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