BJP's guide to tackle Rajya Sabha challenge

R Jagannathan
Firstpost.com

The spectacular showing of the NDA, which could end up with 335-340 seats in the Lok Sabha, indicates that Narendra Modi will be able to overcome his legislative hurdle in the Rajya Sabha – both by working with new allies, and by projecting the NDA's collective might in a joint sitting of both houses.

The fear so far was not that the BJP won't win, but that it would not be able to bring in major legislation, or modify some of the UPA's retrograde laws, because it lacks a majority in the Rajya Sabha. So, even if the BJP can get a law passed in the Lok Sabha, it would flounder in the Rajya Sabha.

While money bills, like the budget, can be passed by the Lok Sabha even if the Rajya Sabha rejects them, in the case of laws that do not relate to constitutional amendments, the assent of both the houses is mandatory. With the NDA having just 64 members in the Rajya Sabha, the chances of getting any contentious bill passed is zero.

However, there are now two reasons why the BJP can overcome the Rajya Sabha hurdle – if it wants to.

First, the decimation of the Congress means that some regional parties can be brought around to support NDA legislation with some kind of bargaining. In the current Rajya Sabha, the BJP has 46 seats , Shiv Sena three, TDP six, ADMK 10, BJD six, SAD three, RPI one, LJP 1, INLD 2 and NCP six. Then there are a whole range of single-MP parties and independents. Together they add up to quite a few floating numbers.

The implacable anti-BJP numbers are Congress (68), Left (11), RJD (1), BSP (14), DMK (4) and SP (9). But that's just 107 seats in a house of 250, including 12 nominated members. Clearly, by offering party-specific deals and effective floor coordination, the BJP can clearly get the required numbers in the Rajya Sabha if it really wants one.

Second, the sweeping victory in the Lok Sabha for the NDA – where it could get 335-340 seats - will give it a majority in case the Rajya Sabha rejects any law, and a joint session of parliament has to be called to break the logjam.

Under article 118 of the constitution, the president can call a joint session of both the houses to pass any bill that is not a constitutional amendment bill. This means bills like the Food Security Bill, the Land Acquisition Bill, or other such UPA rights legislations can be overturned or amended – assuming this is something the BJP wants to do.

In a joint sitting, the total number of members (LS plus RS) would be 795 – 545 from the Lok Sabha, including two nominated members, and 250 Rajya Sabha members in its full strength, including 12 nominated ones.

With 340 seats in the Lok Sabha, the BJP needs only 60 votes from the Rajya Sabha in a joint setting.

The BJP has effectively broken the Rajya Sabha jinx that has bedeviled the Congress and other governments before it.

The writer is editor-in-chief, digital and publishing, Network18 Group

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Gift to Varanasi: Narendra Modi vows to clean Ganga

Accompanied by party president Rajnath Singh, close aide Amit Shah and party UP chief Lakshmikant Bajpai, Modi offered prayers at the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple. He also participated in the 'Ganga aarti' at Dashashwamedh Ghat.

A day after the BJP created history nationwide, and sweeping 72 seats in Uttar Pradesh, Narendra Modi visited Varanasi, one of the constituencies from where he contested.

Modi had a landslide victory in Varanasi, trumping his nearest rival Arvind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party and Congress's Ajai Rai.

Accompanied by party president Rajnath Singh, close aide Amit Shah and party UP chief Lakshmikant Bajpai, Modi offered prayers at the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple. He also participated in the 'Ganga aarti' at Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Also Read: BJP's guide to tackle Rajya Sabha challenge

Thanking the people of Varanasi for playing a major role in the formation of a BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, Modi said the support came even without asking. He said he was barred from speaking to his voters, but despite that the people of Varanasi came out and supported him.  

Promising to clean his "mother Ganga", Modi asked the people of Varanasi to be a part of his cleanliness drive. He vowed to make Kashi a clean city.

He also praised Rajnath Singh and called him the most successful BJP president.

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Rahul alone can't be blamed for Cong debacle: Kamal Nath

Nath also admitted that the Congress didn't expect such a support for the BJP.

After being reduced to just 44 MPs in the 16th Lok Sabha, Congress leaders have come out in the support of Rahul Gandhi and are shielding him by taking collective responsibility for the party's debacle. In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN, former Union minister Kamal Nath said, "If the government cannot convey its perception to people, than Rahul cannot be held responsible. I don't see any reason that they (Sonia, Rahul) should resign. They have accepted the responsibility."

Also Read: Rahul's 'advisers' face heat as Cong searches for answers

He played down demands that Rahul should resign as the party vice president taking the responsibility. "It is the party which can remove Rahul Gandhi. The party is not removing him, it is the party that made him the vice president. It's the party which is asking Rahul Gandhi to represent it. The Congress failed in communicating to the people. This is an organisational issue," said Nath.

Nath also added that the Congress didn't expect such a support for the BJP. "These results were unexpected. Politics have changed but we never expected this," said Nath.

However, he added that the politics of the BJP would not work in the long run. "Congress campaign is based on its history, people will understand that the BJP politics is not going to work," he said.

He added, "Inflation was an issue and BJP was able to make it an issue. It was perceived that UPA-2 could not create jobs, also corruption was a huge issue," he added.

While accepting the party's failure to connect with the people, Nath added, "The structure of Congress Working Committee needs to be looked at and the state organisations should get more autonomy."

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BJP's landslide victory dilutes my loss: Arun Jaitely

BJP's senior party leader, who lost to Congress' Amarinder Singh in Amritsar said he does not subscribe to the theory of Shiromani Akali Dal working against them.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that his loss in Amritsar was nothing in front of his party's overall landslide victory in the Lok Sabha elections. "One would have always preferred to win. But my own personal experience dilutes as compared to the huge win of the party," said Jaitley, who lost the Amritsar seat against Congress's Captain Amarinder Singh.

Also Read: BJP Parliamentary Party to meet on May 20 to elect Modi

When asked by IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai as to whether the Shiromani Akali Dal was responsible for his loss in Amritsar, Jaitley said, "I cannot attribute my loss to the Akali Dal. Local factors had gone against us. We could not remove them during the campaign."

When asked whether not winning makes it difficult for him to get a Cabinet berth in the Narendra Modi government, he said that the party will decide what his job will be. "Losing an election is not a very pleasant experience. My loss is an irrelevant consideration for me. I will not be cowed down just because I lost the election. What I have to do for the party is for the party to decide," Jaitley said.

Jaitley also denied any differences in the party. "Some media reports have been unfair to my senior colleagues. They have participated in the campaign and won. There is no disgruntlement among party leaders," Jaitley said.

But at the same time when asked whether this was the most memorable election for him, Jaitley said, "The happiest moment in my political life was 1977 when we won the elections and saved the democracy."

Talking about exit polls and whether the BJP had expected the landslide win, Jaitley said, "Exit polls have lately been directionally correct but have underestimated the frontrunner. It happened with the Congress in 2009 and this time with us as well. There was a huge anti-incumbency trend and a positive message of hope in the shape of Modi and Modi-led BJP. We too had expected to win about 250 seats for us, but the frontrunner party gets an advantage," Jaitley said.

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Bihar CM Nitish Kumar resigns after crushing defeat

Several party leaders and workers were angry with the Bihar chief minister for breaking away from BJP.

Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, resigned on Saturday after the humiliating defeat suffered in Lok Sabha Elections 2014. Crushed by unprecedented Modi wave, Janata Dal United could win just 2 seats.

Nitish Kumar went to Bihar governor Dr Dnyandeo Yashwantrao Patil to tender his resignation. He recommended the dissolution of Bihar Assembly.

After his split from the BJP - post Narendra Modi being declared as NDA's prime ministerial candidate – Nitish's government in Bihar was surviving on the support of Congress, CPI and independent MLAs.

Several party leaders and workers were angry with the Bihar chief minister for breaking away from BJP.

Nitish Kumar will hold a press conference at 5 PM today to perhaps talk about his resignation and the reasons behind the party's poor performance.

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Wheels India Q4 Net up 64.11%, at Rs 8.78 cr

Wheels India , steel wheel maker for passenger cars and utility vehicles, has reported a 64.11 percent jump in net profit at Rs 8.78 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2014.

The city-based TVS Group company had reported a net profit of Rs 5.35 crore in the year-ago period. 

The revenues of the company increased to Rs 485 crore in the January-March 2014 quarter from Rs 467 crore in the year-ago period, Wheels India said in a statement.

Also read:  Auto sector hopes Modi-led govt will bring in reforms

However, for the full year ended March 31, 2014, the company reported a 10.8 percent decline in net profit at Rs 28.41 crore as against Rs 31.88 crore in 2012-13.

The company's revenues also dipped to Rs 1,825 crore in 2013-14 from Rs 1,927 crore registered during the previous year.

The company's board of directors has recommended a final  dividend of Rs 4.20 per share on the enhanced capital for the year 2013-14 subject to approval.

"The truck industry had its second successive year of negative growth that affected utilisation levels and growth in last fiscal," Wheels India Ltd MD Srivats Ram said.

For the year 2014-15, about Rs 70 crore has been earmarked towards capital expenditure, he said. On the outlook for 2014-15, he said, "We expect increased investments in infrastructure projects and that should drive growth in the auto segment this year".

"On the back of overall economic recovery, we are targeting to achieve moderate growth in financial year 2014-15, both in domestic as well as exports business," he said.

The automotive industry registered a negative growth last year not only in the truck segment but also passenger car segment, he said.

Twenty-six percent of the company's revenue was contributed from wheels for the commercial vehicle segment, while 27 percent from the passenger car segment, 23 percent from agriculture sector, 15 percent from construction equipment and mining industry and five percent from air suspension systems.

Exports formed almost 20 percent of the revenues, he said.

"Margin did expand on exports business. We are looking to add new customers in the overseas market in all the segments that we are in. We are looking to enhance the range of products," he said. 

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Poll results in Bihar show a communal polarization: Nitish

Addressing the media after submitting his resignation to Governor DY Patil, Nitish Kumar said he respects the people's verdict and takes full responsibility for defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

Following a humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday tendered his resignation on moral grounds, accepting full responsibility of the debacle.

Janata Dal (U), which snapped ties with BJP after the party announced Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate, was reduced to only two seats after the final tally came in.

JDU MLA from Barh Gyanendra Singh Gyanu, who had questioned Nitish Kumar's decision to break the 17-year-old alliance with the BJP in June 2013, said several party leaders and workers were angry with the CM for breaking away from the BJP. He said JDU MLAs would have won all 40 seats in Bihar had the party not split with BJP.

Party leader KC Tyagi said they will seek a fresh mandate. The JDU Legislative Party Meet has been called at 4 pm tomorrow.

Addressing the media after submitting his resignation to Governor DY Patil, Nitish Kumar said he respects the people's verdict and takes full responsibility for defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

He said he expects the new government to be able to fulfil the promises and the dreams that it has given to the youth of the country, like that of a job creation. "I sincerely hope that the people of the country do see achche din (good days), as they have been told."

Kumar said he will continue to work for the party and the people, adding that he chose to resign despite having a majority in the assembly. "I have not asked to dissolve the Bihar Legislative Assembly," he said.

Kumar said any coalition is welcome to form the government in Bihar.

He said the election result in the state shows an unprecedented level of communal polarization.

On his decision of split from BJP, Kumar said the move was a well thought one. He said the reason for snapping the ties were ideological differences. "I chose development over communalism while breaking ties with BJP."

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Sahara case: New bench constituted, next hearing May 19

The new bench comprising justices TS Thakur and AK Sikri was set up after JS Khehar recused himself from hearing the matter.

A new bench has been constituted in the Supreme Court to hear the Sahara case which will take up the matter on May 19. The new bench comprising justices TS Thakur and AK Sikri was set up after JS Khehar recused himself from hearing the matter .

The entire case was earlier being heard by a bench of Justice KS Radhakrishnan and Justice Khehar since 2012. But the Chief Justice of India RM Lodha constituted a new bench after Justice Radhakrishnan retired on May 14 and Justice Khehar recused from the case.

At a farewell ceremony for him, Radhakrishnan had said he and family members were under "unimaginable pressure and tension" while hearing the case. Justices Radhakrishnan and Khehar in its May 6 judgement had upheld its order jailing Sahara chief Subrata Roy and rejected his claim that rules of natural justice were not followed in the case.

65-year-old Roy, who has been in jail since March 4 for non-refund of over Rs 20,000 crore to depositors, was asked by the court to make a fresh proposal for paying Rs 10,000 crore to get bail. The court had passed the order on a petition filed by Roy challenging constitutional validity of its order passed on March 4 by which he was sent to jail for not complying with its order to deposit around Rs 20,000 crore of investors money with SEBI. The bench in a strongly-worded judgement had come down heavily on the Group for "systematically" frustrating and flouting all its orders with impunity on refunding investors' money.

It had said the Group "adopted a demeanour of defiance constituting a rebellious behaviour, not amenable to the rule of law" and justified its decision to send Roy along with two promoters of two Sahara companies to jail.

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Western Disturbance to escape northwest plains, temperatures to rise further

According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, a fresh Western Disturbance over Afghanistan and adjoining North Pakistan will shift eastwards during the next 24 hours. The affect of this weather system will remain limited to Jammu & Kashmir as it is tracking in higher latitudes and is unlikely to come down southern latitudes. Jammu & Kashmir will get good amounts of showers in the next 48 hours due to this weather system.

A cyclonic circulation associated with this weather system lies over Central Pakistan and adjoining parts of Northwest Rajasthan but it will follow a northeast path to escape the northwest plains, keeping moist winds away from the region. According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, day temperatures will not rise significantly in the region as winds will be coming in from the areas that have received rain in the past two days.

The westerly to northwest winds would also reach over Central India making it warmer than the last two days. Due to this, day temperatures in places like Gwalior, Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur could rise. Maximums in these places have been below normal under the influence of a cyclonic circulation that existed over Gujarat and adjoining areas and gave rain and cloud cover. Heat wave like conditions will sustain over Odisha during the next 24 hours. While day temperatures in Chhattisgarh will also rise in this period.

There will not be any respite from westerly winds also known as `loo` over east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal. Day temperatures are significantly higher than the normal in the region and Skymet Meteorology Division warns that heat wave like conditions are unlikely to recede as there is no weather system in the offing which could make the wind conditions change.

Due to a wind discontinuity in Peninsular India, northerly to northwesterly winds are colliding with moist winds from the Bay of Bengal and this could give rain over south Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Day temperatures in Andhra Pradesh will continue to remain in lower forties during the next two days.

By: Skymetweather.com

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TMC will play big role in Lok Sabha: Mamata

"We would play a big role in the interest of the people," Banerjee told reporters at the party headquarter here, dedicating the massive win in the state to the people. The TMC supremo said "34 out of 42 is a clear-cut mandate", specially fighting on our own.

West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today asserted that Trinamool Congress' 34-seat tally in the state was a massive triumph and said her party will play a big role in the 16th Lok Sabha in the interest of the people.

"We would play a big role in the interest of the people," Banerjee told reporters at the party headquarter here, dedicating the massive win in the state to the people. The TMC supremo said "34 out of 42 is a clear-cut mandate", specially fighting on our own.

Also Read: Modi-Mamata: Does it have some heartburn in store?

"It is the people who opposed the maligning campaign against us and gave their verdict," the Chief Minister said. Indicating that it was a tough battle over the gruelling five-phase polls in the state, she said "it was a five-six cornered fight, there were several parties. Banerjee said despite a large section of media opposed the party, "people kept their faith in Trinamool Congress".

Claiming that a section of the media had underplayed 'Bengal's triumph', Banerjee said that all party MPs would go to Delhi on May 25 to take oath in the Lok Sabha. Stating that out of 34 members, 33 percent were women while the national figure was 11 per cent out of the 543, Banerjee said "In that way it is historic. Many talk about women's reservation in the Lok Sabha, but do not do much."

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