by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Massive support for J&K Bills in Rajya Sabha
BSP, AAP, TDP, vote with BJP
Amit Shah proves his mettle
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, August 5
After dealing a body blow to the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha on the Triple Talaq Bill last week, the BJP succeeded in getting all the bills and resolutions relating to Jammu & Kashmir passed with a record margin.
It created history when the Bahujan Samaj Party and Aam Admi Party (AAP) joined the ruling party to support the move. The Nationalist Congress Party officially decided to abstain completely and two MPs of the YSR Congress lent their helping hand too. All these are non-NDA parties and and support from BSP & AAP surprised even the Congress benches. The 2 MPs of the TDP also lent their support to the Bills.
What came as a shocker to the Opposition parties was when the Chairman, M Venkaiah Naidu announced that three more MPs- Bhuvneshwar Kalita (Congress) and two MPs of Samajwadi Party quit the House and their resignations were accepted. In fact, with these resignation, the strength of the Rajya Sabha itself came down to 239 making the task for the BJP easy.
Surprisingly as many 52 Rajya Sabha MPs of the Opposition parties were absent when the voting took place. They included the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Janata Dal (S), PDP, Janata Dal (U), and many MPs of the Congress, RJD & TMC on one ground or the other.
If the BJP secured the support of 99 votes in support of the Triple Talaq Bill, it managed to obtain more than 125 votes for making J&K as Union Territory.
The TMC had issued notice to its MP K D Singh for not coming on Triple Talaq. He failed to appear today also. But today five of its MPs were absent.
If 42 MPs absented on Triple Talaq, 52 MPs absented on J&K Bills issue. The BJP polled more votes than what it got on Triple Talaq.
This time the PM did not speak to Chief Ministers of various states and left it to Union Home Minister Amit Shah who showed his mettle once again by ensuring a majority without a majority for the party.
Ends
| House strength | 245 |
| Vacancies | -6 |
| 239 | |
| Absent | -52 |
| 187 | |
| Those who voted | |
| for J&K Bills | |
| BJP | 78 |
| Akalies | 3 |
| Shiv Sena | 3 |
| AIADMK | 11 |
| BJD | 7 |
| AGP+4 | 5 |
| YSR | 2 |
| TDP | 2 |
| BSP | 4 |
| AAP | 3 |
| Indp | 4 |
| Nominated | 3 |
| 125 | |
