Will NDA's loss in Bihar elections slow down the pace of economic reforms?

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Bihar voted, and the verdict went in favour of the JDU-RJD-Congress​ Mahagathbandhan. The question now is whether the reversal of the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar will further slow down the pace of much needed economic reforms in the country?

Experts say that Bihar results would hardly make an impact on the Centre's logjam in the Rajya Sabha, and on its influence in getting the bills passed. Rather, even if the NDA had won in Bihar, it still would have had to build consensus on legislative reforms and get them cleared in the Parliament.

There is hardly any correlation between Bihar legislative assembly elections and Bihar's contribution to the Rajya Sabha seats--the Upper House where the BJP faces a major roadblock from the opposition in getting important bills passed. The NDA has only 64 seats in the 245-seat Rajya Sabha, while the UPA has 70, and Janta parivar 15 seats.

The National Democratic Alliance has been struggling in the Rajya Sabha to get crucial bills like GST, Land acquisition, passed.

The matter of fact is that Bihar contributes 16 seats to the Upper House, out of which 4 are with the BJP. If the BJP had won in Bihar, the only gain the party would have had is a moral boost and confidence in better floor management for seats that are expected to go for re-election in 2016 and 2018.

The government in the Centre is still going to grapple with the same opposition in getting the GST and Land Bill and other bills regarding banking and labour reforms passed in the Winter Session of Parliament.