BJP's huge UP win will change the dynamics for presidential elections in July (file photo)
Highlights
- Presidential Election is due in July this year
- President is elected by Electoral College - formed by 776 MPs, 4120 MLAs
- BJP's huge win in UP will also improve the party's tally in Rajya Sabha
The BJP's electoral tsunami in Uttar Pradesh will not just dramatically change the party's numbers in the assembly but will have an immediate impact on the next Presidential elections in July when President Pranab Mukherjee completes his term.
For National Democratic Alliance or NDA the path to having its nominee elected as the next President has become much easier after the BJP and its allies won 325 lawmakers in UP, 57 in Uttarakhand and impressive 21 in Manipur. Since the results, the BJP has announced it is all set take charge in the state, claiming it has support of 31 legislators.
The President of India is elected by an electoral college that's formed by 776 parliamentarians and 4,120 legislators. The total strength of the electoral college is 10,98,882 votes and the halfway mark is 5,49,442 votes.
The NDA is now short of only about 25,000 votes and friendly parties like the Biju Janata Dal, AIADMK can easily bridge the deficit. But hours after its landslide, party president Amit Shah played down the numbers edge in the run up to the Presidential polls.
"The Electoral College is there and it will do its job," Mr Shah told reporters.
Next year, these results will also change the dynamics in the Rajya Sabha where the NDA government is in minority. In August 2018, 10 Rajya Sabha members of UP including BSP chief Mayawati will retire.
Of these 10 vacancies, majority will go to the BJP. The Bahujan Samaj Party, with just 19 lawmakers in a house of 403, will struggle to get Mayawati re-elected to the Rajya Sabha.
Overall 58 members will retire next August and the BJP is expected to get at least half of these seats.
But the numbers don't seem to deter the Congress. "Yes, these numbers will give them the confidence but election arithmetic is different from raising people's issue," said PC Chacko, senior member of the party who's now overseeing the party's preparation for civic polls in Delhi next month.
Mr Chacko says it is their pressure that "forced the Modi government to go back on the Land Acquisition Bill or more recently the issue of making Aadhar mandatory to avail benefits of the Midday meal scheme."
"We will continue to oppose the Government where it is necessary," Mr Chacko said.