New Delhi, April 3
There has been no dramatic alteration in the overall composition of the Rajya Sabha after the recent biennial elections as the two major political formations - the UPA and the NDA - have registered only minor changes.Independent members, single member parties and regional outfits like the Samajwadi Party, the AIADMK, Telugu Desam Party and the Indian National Lok Dal with 59 members hold the balance of power as the ruling combine is nowhere near the half-way mark in the Upper House. The Rajya Sabha has 245 members at present with five vacancies.
The strength of the UPA has come down marginally from 118 to 115 while the NDA has improved its tally from 63 to 71. However, these changes will have no material bearing on the overall line-up as both sides will need the support of smaller groups and independents for a vote. The Congress party’s individual strength has been reduced by one.The BJP has improved its figures by three, having gone up from 47 to 50.
The UPA strength includes the Congress, all its allies in the government as well as the Left parties and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). This list excludes the 13-member Samajwadi Party, although it is officially extending outside support to the UPA government. However, relations between the Congress and the SP have deteriorated dramatically in recent months, making it difficult to say which way the SP will go on crucial issues.
Although the NDA tally has gone up after this round of biennial elections, its numbers would have been much higher had it not been deserted by its old allies like the Telugu Desam Party, the INLD, National Conference and the AIADMK.
Most senior leaders from virtually all the major political parties, except the CPM, have been renominated,. Among th familiar faces, who will be seen once again when Parliament reconvenes on May 10, include Union ministers Arjun Singh, Hansraj Bharadwaj and Dasari Narayan Rao from the Congress, Sushma Swaraj, S.S.Ahluwalia avi Prasad and Bal Apte from the BJP, NCP’s Praful Patel and Jay Panda of the Biju Janata Dal.
Former Andhra Pradesh Governor Sushil Kumar Shinde, who was inducted into the Union Cabinet in the last reshuffle, was nominated from Maharashtra. while the Shiv Sena has elected former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar
Joshi, whose inclusion will add to the Opposition’s formidable list of forceful orators. The Congress, on the other hand, has tried to match the Opposition’s line-up of impressive speakers by nominating its lawyer-spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi, who was elected from Rajasthan and Satyavrat Chaturvedi from Uttaranchal.
CPM leader Nilotpal Basu, who had emerged as an attacking speaker, has not been re-elected as his party does not nominate members for more than two terms.
