NEW DELHI: BJP has become the largest party in the Rajya Sabha overtaking Congress by one seat with tribal leader Sampathiya Uikey , being sworn in as member of the House of Elders on Thursday.Uikey has come to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh unopposed in a bypoll necessitated by the death of environment minister Anil Madhav Dave. This does not signal BJP-NDA gaining a majority but the ruling coalition is close and will gain seats in the next round of Rajya Sabha polls.BJP has 58 seats of its own and Congress is followed by Samajwadi Party (18), AIADMK (13), Trinamool Congress (12) and JD(U) (10). "BJP will keep upholding constitutional, parliamentary and democratic traditions in the Rajya Sabha," said BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav on the party having the largest tally in the Upper House.On Monday, polling for nine Rajya Sabha seats will take place, including six in West Bengal and three in Gujarat. BJP President Amit Shah and union information and broadcasting minister Smriti Irani are set to win from Gujarat. The party is also leaving no stone unturned to defeat senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who is vying to retain his Rajya Sabha membership from Gujarat.

Source: Times of India August 04, 2017 22:13 UTC