Kapil Sibal Alleges BJP Orchestrates Defections for Supermajority

Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of engaging in systematic political horse-trading to secure a two-thirds majority in Parliament. He claims the ruling coalition is actively poaching opposition members to consolidate legislative control ahead of the upcoming Monsoon Session.

Editorial·July 18, 2026·reads: 618

The allegations center on a series of high-profile defections involving lawmakers from the Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, and Shiv Sena. Sibal pointed to the recent merger of twenty Trinamool Congress MPs with a minor northeastern party as a tactical maneuver designed to expand the BJP's influence. By absorbing these shifting allegiances, the ruling party aims to bypass traditional legislative hurdles.

These claims emerge as the government prepares for the Monsoon Session scheduled from July 20 to August 13. President Droupadi Murmu has already sanctioned the four-week legislative calendar, which includes the introduction of the Income-tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026. With the ruling coalition aggressively pursuing a supermajority, the opposition warns that the balance of power in the house faces an unprecedented challenge.