The Lok Sabha is gearing up for a pivotal debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, scheduled for Wednesday, as the Narendra Modi-led NDA coalition appears well-positioned to secure its passage despite fierce resistance from a united opposition. With 293 members in the 543-seat house, the NDA holds a comfortable edge over the 272 votes required to pass the legislation. The opposition, anchored by the INDIA bloc with 235 MPs, has garnered additional support from non-aligned parties like AIMIM, YSRCP, and Aazad Samaj Party, bringing their total to 241—still insufficient to derail the bill.
The NDA’s strength lies in its diverse alliance, led by the BJP’s 240 MPs and bolstered by partners such as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 16 seats, Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) with 12, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) with 5, and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena with 7. Smaller allies, including the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Janata Dal-Secular, and JanaSena Party (2 MPs each), along with single-seat parties like NCP, Apna Dal, Hindustani Awam Morcha, All Jharkhand Students’ Union, AGP, UPPL, and SKM, further solidify the coalition’s numbers.
Despite this, some NDA allies have flagged concerns. JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha told The Indian Express that his party opposes applying the bill’s provisions retrospectively, citing Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s long-standing support for the Muslim community. “We’ve made it clear in the Joint Committee of Parliament that past practices should remain unaffected,” Jha said, expressing hope that the government would heed this stance. Similarly, a TDP leader informed The Indian Express that the party will push for states to have discretion over non-Muslim representation in Waqf boards, though it backs other changes, such as including women in these bodies, calling it “a progressive step.”
The opposition, comprising heavyweights like Congress (99 MPs), Samajwadi Party (37), Trinamool Congress (28), DMK (22), and others including Shiv Sena-UBT, NCP-SP, CPI-M, RJD, AAP, JMM, IUML, and J-K National Conference, has vowed to vote against the bill. Non-aligned parties like AIMIM (1 MP), Aazad Samaj Party (1 MP), and YSRCP (4 MPs) have also joined their ranks, yet their combined strength falls short.
The debate, set to begin at noon on Wednesday, will span eight hours, as decided by the Lok Sabha, despite the opposition’s plea for a 12-hour discussion. Following this, Minorities Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will address the house and seek approval for the bill, which incorporates amendments from the 31-member Joint Committee of Parliament. While the NDA’s numerical dominance suggests a likely win, the opposition’s resolve and allies’ calls for tweaks could still influence the final shape of the legislation.