BJP Rajya Sabha strength increases to 87 with addition of nominated member Satnam Sandhu from Punjab
PTC News Desk: With the nomination of member Satnam Singh Sandhu, the BJP now has 87 members in the Rajya Sabha. The announcement that Sandhu has joined the BJP in the House was made in the Rajya Sabha bulletin that was released on Thursday night.
"As of right now, Satnam Singh Sandhu joined the BJP on July 22 prior to the six-month mark passing after his January 31 oath date. According to the Rajya Sabha bulletin, "he will therefore be considered to be a member of the BJP for the purposes of the Explanation [(b)(ii)] to paragraph 2 (1) of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution."
The Punjabi educationist's BJP membership has increased to 87 members in the Rajya Sabha. To pass a bill, the BJP needs outside help because it currently lacks a majority.
The BJP's 86 members in the Rajya Sabha are a result of the terms of four of its nominated members having just ended. The Rajya Sabha now has 225 members; one hundred and thirteen more are required to reach the majority.
The BJP-led NDA only has 101 seats, therefore it also falls short of that total. The BJP had previously received assistance from the BJD of Odisha and the YSRCP of Andhra Pradesh when the ruling party need outside backing. This time, though, the BJD has declared that it would take on the role of an opposition party.
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The Rajya Sabha comprises 87 seats for the Congress-dominated INDIA group, with the Congress holding 26 seats, the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee holding 13, and the AAP and DMK, which rule Tamil Nadu and Delhi respectively, holding 10 seats each.
Furman Singh Sandhu, the brother of Satnam, is the president of the Bharti Kisan Union, Punjab, an SKM member organization that spearheaded the farmers' protest and compelled the Modi administration to revoke the three agricultural laws in 2021.
After his brother was chosen as an MP by the President, Furman Sandhu, who was overjoyed, had earlier revealed that he had received congratulations from all 32 farmer unions under the SKM. JP Nadda, the president of the BJP, has greeted Satnam with open arms.
- With inputs from agencies
