BJP-led NDA set to boost its Rajya Sabha tally this year, reach at least 137 seats

NEw new delhi : The BJP-led NDA authorities is go down to fasten its adhesive friction on the Rajya Sabha this year by taking its tally to at least 137 seats (including nominated members) while the Opposition and fence-sitters are set to lose seats. The ruling NDA already sits comfortably above the majority mark of 123 in the 245-member Upper House.A total of 72 lawmakers will complete their Rajya Sabha terms in March, April, June, July and November this year. They include nominated member and former chief justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, who retires in March.The ruling NDA held 42 of these seats. After elections to these 71 seats (barring the nominated one), the NDA’s tally will likely increase to at least 46 seats. The Congress-led INDIA bloc, which currently has 23 of these 71 seats, will get reduced by at least one seat. Fence-sitters such as the BJD, YSRCP and BRS along with an independent lawmaker from Assam hold seven seats. They would be reduced to just three seats with YSRCP and BRS set to lose four berths.Election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Manipur, which will go vacant in June, is unlikely to take place as the northeastern state is under President’s rule. One more seat is likely to go vacant soon as NCP lawmaker Sunetra Pawar on Sunday took oath as the Maharashtra deputy chief minister. According to law, a minister in the state cabinet has to be a member of legislature of that state.ALSO READ | Sunetra Pawar becomes Maharashtra’s first woman deputy CM, sworn in 3 days after husband Ajit's deathThe biennial elections will also witness a new low for the Left parties in West Bengal, when CPI(M) lawmaker Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharjee’s term will end in April. The Left would not have any representative in the Rajya Sabha from the state for the first time since the 1970s.Top leaders to face fresh election include Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, former prime minister and JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda, Congress’s Abhishek Singhvi and Digvijaya Singh, Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha’s (RLM) Upendra Kushwaha.The INDIA bloc has its task cut out to retain at least 22 seats. The Congress will have to engage in intense negotiations with not-so-friendly parties in Assam and Odisha to get a seat each.In Odisha, the BJP is set to win two seats. BJD, the principal opponent, would retain one seat. But if former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik decides against supporting an Opposition candidate for the fourth seat, it too, can go to the BJP. Similarly, in Assam, the Congress needs the support of AIUDF to bag one berth, failing which, the NDA can easily manoeuvre to get additional seats through the second preference votes.The NDA’s biggest gain of three seats will come from Maharashtra, while it will also gain Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The Opposition will gain seats in Telangana, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.