New Delhi: With steady losses in several by-elections over the past few months, the BJP, which on Thursday managed to retain just one seat out of three in the Lok Sabha bypolls, now has a wafer thin majority with its effective strength standing at 272 in the 539-member House. In 2014, the BJP had won 282 Lok Sabha seats in the general elections riding on the Narendra Modi wave, 10 more than the halfway mark of 272. Fast forward to 2018, the BJP’s individual tally in the lower house as of May 31, stands at 272, excluding the Speaker.
The Lok Sabha has 543 elected members but its four seats are unrepresented. While three MPs from Karnataka resigned, the Anantnag seat in Kashmir is lying vacant after the bypoll was deferred indefinitely in May last year. It brings the majority mark down to 270. However, for all practical purposes the BJP’s strength is 274 as two nominated members also belong to it. Counting them, the BJP has three members more than the 271 it needs to have a majority.
