Waqf Bill In Lok Sabha: Who Is Backing It And Who Is Opposing It In Parliament Numbers Game?

Last Updated:April 02, 2025, 10:16 IST

The government is all set to introduce the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha today for discussion and passage. Several parties have voiced their support as well as opposition for the Bill.

Parliament Budget Session: Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha today (PTI Image)

A government-Opposition showdown is set to go live on the floor of the Parliament on Wednesday as the Lok Sabha takes up the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, for discussion and passage.

While the NDA has got the backing of its allies over the Bill in both Houses, the Opposition’s INDIA bloc have vowed unity to defeat the legislation they term as “against constitutional provisions".

For this, the Opposition held a meeting on Tuesday, after which Mallikarjun Kharge said that all parties are united against the Bill.

Both the BJP and Congress have issued whips to their MPs, making it compulsory for them to attend the Parliament.

The original Bill was first tabled in the Lok Sabha in August last year, but then it was sent to the joint parliamentary committee for wider consultation. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju will introduce the Bill today for discussion and passage in the lower house. The ongoing Budget Session of the Parliament will come to an end on April 4.

Which Parties Back The Waqf Amendment Bill?

The NDA parties, including Nitish Kumar’s JDU, Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP, Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas), and Shiv Sena, have confirmed their support for the Bill.

While JDU has confirmed that it will not stall the passage of the Bill, another key NDA ally LJP (Ram Vilas) has said that the legislation was not against the Muslims, as alleged by the Opposition, and added that their charge that the Bill will encroach their rights was false.

Which Parties Are Against The Waqf Amendment Bill?

The Opposition parties who are a part of the INDIA bloc have voiced strong opposition to the legislation.

Congress, Mamata Banerjee’s TMC, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD, MK Stalin’s DMK, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP-SP are among the parties who will oppose the Bill.

The Opposition has alleged that the BJP aims to “defame traditions and institutions of the minority communities" through the Bill and would therefore come out in strong opposition of the same.

How Do The Numbers Add Up In Parliament?

Though the Opposition has vowed unity to defeat the Bill in the Parliament, their unity may not be able to deter the passage of the Bill.

In the Lok Sabha, though the BJP does not have its own majority, its allies in the NDA have voiced open support for the legislation. The government needs a simple majority of 272 votes for the passage of the Bill.

Out of the 543 MPs, the BJP has 240, JDU 12, TDP 16, Shiv Sena 7, LJP (Ram Vilas) 5, and RLD 2. Therefore, the Bill should comfortably pass the Lok Sabha test as the Opposition does not have numbers in the lower house to stall the Bill.

When the Bill likely comes to the Rajya Sabha, does the game change? Unlikely so.

In the 245-seated House, the government needs 119 votes to pass the Bill.

The NDA has 125 MPs in the Upper House, including 98 from the BJP, 4 from JDU, 2 from TDP, 3 from NCP, and 1 each from Shiv Sena and RLD. The alliance has also expressed confidence that it would get the support of six nominated members as well as parties such as Asom Gana Parishad and Tamil Mannila Congress.

As all NDA allies have backed the legislation, it is unlikely to be defeated in the Rajya Sabha as well.

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