'There's No Party Whip': What BJD's Stand On Waqf Bill Voting Could Mean In Rajya Sabha Numbers Game

Last Updated:April 03, 2025, 19:42 IST

The BJD’s move has made the numbers’ game interesting in the Lower House of Parliament, where the government enjoys a slim majority. Naveen Patnaik’s party could play a game changer if any BJP ally takes a U-turn on the bill at the eleventh hour

The Waqf bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha and it was tabled in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.  (Photo: PTI file)

In a surprising move, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday said it has not issued any party whip, giving its seven Rajya Sabha MPs to vote as per their “conscience" during the voting on the Waqf amendment bill.

The BJD’s move has made the numbers’ game interesting in the Lower House of Parliament, where the government enjoys a slim majority. Naveen Patnaik’s party could play a game changer if any BJP ally takes a U-turn on the bill at the eleventh hour.

BJD MP and party spokesperson Sasmit Patra said that the Biju Janata Dal has always upheld the principles of secularism and inclusivity, ensuring the rights of all communities.

After careful consideration of diverse sentiments of the Minority communities regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Patra said that his party has entrusted its Rajya Sabha members with the responsibility of “exercising their conscience in the best interest of justice, harmony and the rights of all communities:

Even though the BJD was not the part of the NDA at the Centre, Naveen Patnaik’s party voted for the government on key bills including now-scrapped three farmers bills and the Citizenship Amendment Act when the BJP-led alliance did not have the majority in Rajya Sabha. However, the BJP’s sweeping victory in Odisha assembly elections last year, has made the BJD to join the opposition against the government.

Rajya Sabha Numbers’ Game

The Waqf bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha and it was tabled in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Currently, the Rajya Sabha’s strength is 236, so the ruling NDA needs 119 MPs for a majority. However, the NDA is secure with 123 MPs, comprising 98 from the BJP, four from the JD(U), two from the TDP, three from the NCP, and one each from ten other alliance parties.

In contrast, the opposition INDIA bloc has 88 MPs in the Upper House: Congress (27), Trinamool Congress (13), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Aam Aadmi Party (10 each), Rashtriya Janata Dal (five), Samajwadi Party and CPI-M (four each), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (three), among others.

Additionally, there are 23 MPs from parties that are neither part of the NDA nor the INDIA bloc.

News politics 'There's No Party Whip': What BJD's Stand On Waqf Bill Voting Could Mean In Rajya Sabha Numbers Game