In a keenly contested vote on the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 on August 7 night, the Opposition fell short by 29 votes, but sees it as a psychological victory in which the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) grouping stood united, keeping its ranks intact.
This is the first defeat for the newly formed INDIA bloc of Opposition parties. By some estimates, it could also be the first time an Opposition bloc has crossed the 100-mark in a division in the Rajya Sabha.
The last time the Opposition came within a striking distance of the Narendra Modi government in the Rajya Sabha was in July 2019 when, after a lengthy debate, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, better known as the ‘Triple Talaq Bill’, was voted on. The Opposition got 84 members to vote against the Bill as opposed to the government’s 99 members who voted in favour of it. Back then, according to the Opposition’s own internal analysis, there were at least 30 absentees.
