The ruling BJP-led NDA inched closer to a Rajya Sabha majority after winning 30 of the 56 vacant seats in the recent elections. With 10 more seats clinched on Tuesday, the NDAs strength in the 240-member House will rise to 117. The final results underscored the BJPs dominance, despite some upsets. The party bagged an extra seat in Uttar Pradesh and made surprise gains in Himachal Pradesh amid allegations of cross-voting. In Himachal, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost as 6 ruling party MLAs allegedly voted for the BJP. Though Congress holds a slim majority, BJP said this shows it has lost the Assemblys confidence. But CM Sukhvinder Singh denied this, saying strength can only be tested on the floor.The biggest winner was the BJP, increasing its tally to 97 seats. The Congress managed to get only 29 seats. The Samajwadi Party won 2 of 3 seats in UP, with the BJP taking the rest. The Karnataka results went as expected, with Congress winning 3 and BJP 1 seat. But in HP, Congress suffered a shock defeat despite having a majority. After the new members are sworn in, the BJP will be just 4 short of a Rajya Sabha majority. The Upper House polls saw intense horse-trading allegations.A disappointed Singhvi said the cross-voting MLAs taught him a lot about human nature and its fickleness. The numbers prove the BJPs clout despite recent electoral reverses. But the Congress will be worried about instability in Himachal.
