WITH LOSSES IN THE RECENT state elections, the BJP’s dream of securing a majority in the Rajya Sabha has been pushed back. It is unlikely to be fulfilled during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s current term. To build on its current tally of 93 seats in the 245-member house, the BJP would have to perform exceedingly well in next year’s Uttar Pradesh elections. This explains why the party’s focus has already shifted to the politically significant state.
The BJP was hoping that a win in Bengal would offset the losses in the upper house likely to happen because of its subpar performance in the 2018 Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh elections. However, the Trinamool won 213 of 294 constituencies, which means it would retain most of its seats in the upper house. The tenure of 77 Rajya Sabha members will end in 2022.
The BJP’s worries are manifold. The recent results have thrown up organisational challenges because of the strong cadre support for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee; imports from the Trinamool were of little help. Before the BJP’s rise, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had laid the foundation for the saffron party to emerge as the main opposition in Bengal. The RSS is now eager to grow that base as the massive mandate for Mamata, where Muslims consolidated behind her, also destroyed the Congress-Left front.
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