New Delhi: The mammoth victory in the Punjab Assembly election is all set to make Aam Admi Party (AAP) the fifth largest party along with Biju Janta Dal (BJD) by 2022 in Rajya Sabha. Following a massive mandate in the Punjab election, AAP is all set to grab as many as six Rajya Sabah seats from Punjab by July this year.
Five seats in Punjab will be vacant in April and two more seats in July. And with the current three seats in the Upper house, the total number will reach nine.
By July this year, AAP will become the fifth largest party in the upper house. As per the current position, BJP with 97 seats is leading the top position followed by Congress (34), TMC (13), DMK (10), and BJD (9). Other parties like TRS, YSRCP, and CPM have 6 members each, AIADMK, RJD, and SP have 5 members each, JD (U) and NCP has 4 members each, AAP, BSP, SAD and Shiv Sena had 3 members each. Three are nominated members and 18 belong to Independent and other smaller parties.
From April to August election will take place for 75 Rajya Sabah seats. The total strength of Rajya Sabha is 245 and currently, 8 seats are lying vacant, especially from J&K, Bihar, Karnataka, and Telengana. At present, AAP has three members in Rajya Sabha from Delhi. Parties like BSP, SAD, and Shiv Sena have three seats each in the Rajya Sabha.
The emergence of AAP as the fifth largest party in the Rajya Sabha would definitely make it a crucial opposition party whenever any crucial bill comes up for voting.
"Yes, the Punjab election has given AAP a huge scope to improve its position. From three seats, its seat tally will now go up to 9, making it the fifth-largest party in the Rajya Sabha," said political analyst Dr. Geeta Bhatt to ETV Bharat.
Terming AAP as an emerging party, Dr. Bhatt said that if it can make its presence in other states as well by winning Assembly seats, AAP could even overtake DMK too. However, talking to this correspondent, Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha Ripun Bora, however, said that the anti-incumbency factor played against Congress in Punjab. "Following Punjab election, AAP may do well in Rajya Sabha. But, it will not be so easy for AAP to perform in the same way in other States. AAP will remain as a regional party," said Bora.
AAP dethroned Congress in the recently held Assembly election in Punjab to form the government.
