NEW DELHI:Â Starting March, the Rajya Sabha will witness a cycle of retirements that is expected to further strengthen the position of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies in the Upper House, where the National Democratic Alliance already holds a working majority with the support of nominated members.
A total of 71 members will retire during the year, beginning with nominated member Ranjan Gogoi in March. The largest wave will occur in April, when 32 members will retire, including nine from the BJP, four from the Congress, four from the DMK, three from the Trinamool Congress, two each from the Biju Janata Dal, Nationalist Congress Party-Pawar faction, Janata Dal (United), and Rashtriya Janata Dal, and one each from the Rashtriya Lok March, AIADMK, Tamil Maanila Congress, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Republican Party of India, and one independent member.
In June, 22 members will retire, including 12 from the BJP, four from the Congress, and three from the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party, along with one each from the Telugu Desam Party, Janata Dal (Secular), and National People’s Party. One member from the Mizo National Front will retire in July. The final phase will take place in November, when 11 members will retire, including nine from the BJP and one each from the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.
In total, the BJP will see 30 of its members retire, the highest among all parties, followed by eight from the Congress. The Biju Janata Dal and the DMK will each see four retirements, while the Trinamool Congress and the YSR Congress Party will each have three members retiring. Two members each from the Nationalist Congress Party-Pawar faction, Janata Dal (United), and Rashtriya Janata Dal will retire.
Prominent retiring members include Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, former Union minister Prem Chand Gupta, Sharad Pawar, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, KTS Tulsi, HD Devegowda, Shaktisinh Gohil, Parimal Nathwani, Digvijaya Singh, and Ram Gopal Yadav.
The BJP’s rise in the Rajya Sabha has been steady over the past decade. In 2014, the party had only 55 members in the Upper House. It became the single largest party for the first time in 2017 with 58 members, and its strength rose further to a then-record 92 members by 2020. In 2022, the BJP crossed the 100-member mark for the first time, and by August 2025 its tally stood at 102 members, the highest in its history.
Based on current Assembly strength in states where outcomes are structurally determined, the BJP and its allies are expected to make significant gains.
In Bihar, the NDA is projected to gain one seat, increasing its tally from three to four, while the opposition will lose one seat. The alliance is expected to gain three seats in Andhra Pradesh, one in Gujarat, two in Maharashtra, at least two in Odisha, and one in Rajasthan. These gains are expected to be partially offset by losses of one seat each in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
Taken together, these changes are expected to result in a net gain of between seven and nine seats for the BJP and its allies.
For the BJP on its own, this is projected to translate into an increase from its current strength of 102 members to around 109 to 111 members after the retirement cycle, allowing the party to surpass its previous peak and set a new record tally in the Rajya Sabha.
The halfway mark in the Rajya Sabha is 123 members. The NDA crossed this threshold in August 2025 with 114 members, including nominated members who support the government. With additional gains expected in the current cycle, the alliance is likely to further consolidate its position and expand its margin in the Upper House.
However, the final balance will also depend on Assembly election outcomes in West Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu, which together account for 13 retiring members. Since Rajya Sabha members are elected by state legislatures, the results of these elections will determine the final seat distribution. In West Bengal, four members are retiring, all currently held by opposition parties led by the Trinamool Congress and its allies. In Assam, three members are retiring, including two from the BJP and one from a non-BJP party. Tamil Nadu will see six retirements, all currently held by regional parties led by the DMK and AIADMK. With gains projected in several key states and an upcoming Assembly election, the retirement cycle is expected to take the BJP to its highest ever strength in the Rajya Sabha while further reinforcing the NDA’s dominance in the Upper House.
