Government devises strategy to counter Congress from blocking passage of bills in Rajya Sabha

The BJP-led government at the Centre has come up with a new strategy to stop Congress from blocking the passage of important bills in Rajya Sabha. Sources told Zee Media that the government has finally devised a strategy to pass important bills, including a bill on Triple Talaq, despite stiff opposition from Congress.

It is to be noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre has a comfortable majority in Lok Sabha and the government now needs to garner majority in Rajya Sabha to pass important bills.

The recent induction of four TDP MPs and one INLD MP in the BJP has taken the total number of BJP MPs in Rajya Sabha to 76. The saffron party is on course to add two more Rajya Sabha MPs from Gujarat on July 5. The two seats in Gujarat fell vacant after Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister Smriti Irani contested and won the recently held Lok Sabha election. Sources told Zee Media that PM Modi had already talked to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the BJP is set to get one more Rajya Sabha MP. The seven nominated members of Upper House of Parliament have also taken the membership of BJP.

The Rajya Sabha which has been vacated by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is also set to go in NDA's kitty and Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan will fill in the vacancy created due to Prasad's move to Lok Sabha. After Paswan's election, the total number of NDA MPs in Rajya Sabha will jump to 112. The NDA government has the support of four Independent MPs too, including Dr Subhash Chandra, Amar Singh, Parimal Barwani and Sanjay Dattatray Jakade. The three nominated MPs - Swapan Das Gutpa, Dr Narendra Jadhav and Mary Kom - are also standing with the BJP-led government at the Centre. 

The 13 MPs from AIADMK, 6 from JD(U), 3 from Shiv Sena, 3 from Akali Dal, 1 from Sikkim Democratic Front, 1 from Bodo People's Front, 1 from RPI and 1 from Asom Gana Parishad are also set to support the BJP-led government in Rajya Sabha. Besides these parties, there are some other parties which can support the government in Rajya Sabha, including the BJD, YSRC, Naga Peoples Front and TRS. The government has come up with a strategy to get the support of at least 130 MPs in 243-member Rajya Sabha.