BJP strength in Rajya Sabha goes up to 87 as nominated member Satnam Sandhu from Punjab joins party
New Delhi, July 26
The BJP’s strength in Rajya Sabha has gone up to 87 following nominated member Satnam Singh Sandhu joining the party.
The Rajya Sabha bulletin published on Thursday night announced that Sandhu is now a part of the BJP in the House.
“Now, Satnam Singh Sandhu has joined the BJP on July 22 before the expiry of six months from the date of taking oath on January 31. Therefore, he shall be deemed to belong to the BJP, in terms of the Explanation [(b)(ii)] to paragraph 2 (1) of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution”, the Rajya Sabha bulletin said.
Joining the BJP by the Punjab educationist has pushed up the number of the BJP members in Rajya Sabha to 87. The BJP is still short of majority and will require outside support for passing a Bill.
Terms of four nominated Rajya Sabha members affiliated to the BJP expired recently bringing down the strength of the party in Rajya Sabha to 86.
One hundred and thirteen members are needed to attain majority in Rajya Sabha, which has a current strength of 225.
The BJP-led NDA also falls short of that number as it has 101 seats only. In the past, the BJD of Odisha and YSRCP of Andhra Pradesh had come to the aid of the BJP when the ruling party needed outside support. However, the BJD has this time announced that it would play the role of an opposition party.
The Congress-led INDIA bloc has 87 seats in Rajya Sabha with the Congress having 26, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress 13, and the AAP and the DMK, which govern Delhi and Tamil Nadu respectively, having 10 seats each.
Satnam’s brother Furman Singh Sandhu is the president of Bharti Kisan Union, Punjab, which is a member of the SKM, that led the farmers’ protest and forced the Modi government to repeal the three farm laws in 2021.
An elated Furman Sandhu had earlier said that all 32 farmer unions under the SKM congratulated him after his brother was nominated as an MP by the President.
Satnam has been welcomed to the BJP by party president JP Nadda.
