BJP closer to RS majority as strategic gains reshape math

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party has moved decisively closer to an outright majority in the Rajya Sabha after the latest biennial polls, a shift that political strategists say is the product of careful arithmetic, opportunistic cross voting and a sustained focus on state level strength. With the ruling party now holding 106 of the 245 seats in the Upper House, it stands 17 short of the 123 seat majority mark; yet the pattern of recent results and the calendar of forthcoming vacancies make a...

min read

BJP closer to RS majority as strategic gains reshape math

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party has moved decisively closer to an outright majority in the Rajya Sabha after the latest biennial polls, a shift that political strategists say is the product of careful arithmetic, opportunistic cross voting and a sustained focus on state level strength. With the ruling party now holding 106 of the 245 seats in the Upper House, it stands 17 short of the 123 seat majority mark; yet the pattern of recent results and the calendar of forthcoming vacancies make a clear path to an absolute majority by 2028 increasingly plausible. The immediate momentum came from the most recent contest for 37 Rajya Sabha seats, where the ruling combine secured 22 seats against the opposition’s 15. That outcome not only added two seats beyond the BJP’s assured tally but also exposed fault lines within the opposition, where discipline lapses and strategic miscalculations allowed the ruling side to convert narrow advantages into concrete gains. Analysts point to instances of cross voting and the inability of opposition parties to present united slates as decisive factors that amplified the BJP’s returns beyond what raw assembly numbers might have predicted. In the months ahead, 35 more Rajya Sabha seats are scheduled for election, with vacancies arising in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Based on current assembly compositions, projections suggest the BJP could add roughly six seats in the near term, nudging its tally to about 112. That incremental growth, while not decisive on its own, tightens the margin and increases the leverage the party enjoys in parliamentary negotiations. Next Calendar The calendar beyond the immediate cycle further favors the ruling party. In 2027 only a handful of seats — largely from Kerala — are due to fall vacant, offering little opportunity for a major shift. The pivotal year appears to be 2028, when multiple vacancies are expected in politically consequential states. Maharashtra, where the BJP’s legislative strength allows it to elect more candidates than the number of retiring members, and Uttar Pradesh, which will see a significant tranche of 11 seats vacated, are likely to be the main battlegrounds. Given the BJP’s current foothold in both states, party strategists and observers alike regard the 2028 cycle as the most probable moment when the 17 seat deficit could be erased. Political operatives describe the BJP’s approach as a blend of long term state level investment and short term tactical manoeuvres. At the state level, the party has focused on winning assembly elections and building alliances that translate into Rajya Sabha strength. Tactically, the recent polls demonstrated an ability to exploit divisions within the opposition, whether through direct negotiations with regional leaders, leveraging dissident legislators, or capitalising on the fragmented nature of multi party contests. The result is a steady accumulation of seats that, over successive biennial cycles, compounds into a structural advantage in the Upper House. For the opposition, the challenge is two-fold: to defend regional strongholds in the upcoming state elections and to maintain internal cohesion. The Rajya Sabha’s indirect electoral mechanism means that every state assembly contest carries national significance; a swing in a single assembly can alter the Upper House calculus months later. Opposition leaders face the immediate task of shoring up their legislative numbers and preventing defections or tactical cross voting that could further erode their position.

Designing Life With Courage

Kiran D. Tare
Mar 14
3 min read

From Thane to Chicago, Ilisha Sharma turned curiosity into courage, building a career in design while quietly shaping how people see, feel and trust.

When Ilisha Sharma looks back, she is still surprised by how far curiosity can take a person. Growing up in Thane, India design was not an obvious career path, at least not in her family. Yet she was always drawn to grids, patterns and the aesthetics of nature, long before she had the words to describe those instincts.

As a child, she explored many versions of herself — basketball player, swimmer, Kathak dancer, singer and pianist. But the artist was the one who endured. She was the child who stayed up late designing school posters, making birthday cards and filling notebook margins with doodles. Creativity was never separate from who she was.

That instinct led to one of the biggest risks of her life. At 18, Sharma moved from Thane to the United States to study design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). She had never lived alone, navigated airports or crossed continents by herself. She landed in Savannah, Georgia, without a U.S. phone number, a bank account or any real sense of how far from home she was — just an email from SCAD promising a shuttle at the airport.

She remembers telling herself, “As long as I get off at the right terminal and find the right bus, I’ll be fine.”

Quietly panicking, she still chose courage over comfort. That journey became the first defining step in a life shaped by uncertainty and conviction.

At SCAD, Sharma majored in graphic design and minored in user experience, discovering that design shapes how people feel, think and trust. She graduated summa cum laude and, more importantly, found the kind of designer she wanted to be — one who blends creativity with strategy and emotion with clarity.

Another leap came soon after graduation, when she secured an internship in Chicago at the exact agency she wanted: Design B&B. Her employment authorisation card had not arrived; she could not legally begin work without it, and she had no housing lined up.

Still, she went.

She booked an overnight flight, packed her life into eight suitcases, reserved an Airbnb for two nights, and arrived in Chicago without knowing where she would live or how long she could stay. That gamble paid off. Within two months, the internship became a full-time role. She eventually rose to the position of designer and head of social strategy.

Brand Collaborations

Today, her work includes collaborations with brands such as Pop-Tarts, Mars, Kellogg’s, Bic, IAMS, Town House, Simple Mills, Cadence OTC, Pull-Ups, Huggies and Aveeno. One of the most surreal moments in her career came during the rebrand of Naked Smoothies, when months of strategy and design finally appeared on supermarket shelves.

In 2026, Sharma is also leading Design B&B’s Good Egg Grant, a programme that offers pro bono branding support to a Chicago nonprofit each year. This year, the agency is partnering with Friendship Center, a food pantry in Albany Park that provides groceries, hot meals and dignity to families in need.

From Thane to Chicago, Sharma’s journey has been shaped by curiosity, courage and a willingness to choose uncertainty over comfort. In the process, she has done more than design brands — she has designed a life on her own terms.