The saffron party is targeting the DMK, SP and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) to cross the 360-seat mark, aiming for major constitutional changes including women's reservation and delimitation.

The BJP leadership has quietly accelerated its 'Mission 360' strategy — a push to secure a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha that would allow the government to push through key constitutional reforms. The move comes after the party faced a setback on April 17 over legislation related to women's reservation and delimitation.

The target, according to sources, is to achieve the numbers before the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The NDA's strength is now reportedly at 319 MPs, following claims that 20 Trinamool Congress MPs and six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs have shifted their support. But that still leaves the alliance 41 MPs short of the 360-member two-thirds majority, based on the current effective strength of the House.

Who the BJP Is Targeting

The party is now focusing on three key opposition groups — the Samajwadi Party (37 MPs), the DMK (22 MPs), and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP (8 MPs). A senior BJP leader from Maharashtra reportedly claimed that, apart from Supriya Sule, most NCP (Sharad) MPs are supportive of the NDA.

Government sources, however, maintain that they are engaging with all political parties on legislative issues.

Two Possible Strategies

According to the report, the BJP is exploring multiple political options to build the required numbers:

Option 1: Add 41 more MPs — Secure support through defections, mergers, or outside backing from opposition MPs to reach the two-thirds majority.

Option 2: Reduce effective House strength — If enough opposition MPs remain absent during voting, the effective strength of the Lok Sabha would decline, reducing the two-thirds threshold. The BJP is reportedly looking at MPs from the SP, DMK, NCP (Sharad), TMC, along with independents and smaller parties. If required, some Congress MPs could also be absent during crucial votes.

What Mission 360 Aims to Achieve

The strategy is built around four major constitutional objectives:

Delimitation: Increase Lok Sabha seats by around 50% across states, potentially expanding the House to nearly 850 seats.

Women's Reservation: Implement one-third reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies after delimitation, beginning with the 2029 elections.

One Nation, One Election: Enable simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections through constitutional amendments.

Judicial and Constitutional Reforms: Pursue broader reforms, including the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and other measures requiring constitutional amendments.

Former Rajya Sabha Secretary-General Vivek Agnihotri said constitutional amendments for measures such as women's reservation, delimitation, and one nation, one election require a two-thirds majority in Parliament. He noted that the Constitution envisages delimitation after 2026, and if it is postponed again, another constitutional amendment would be needed.

Supreme Court lawyer Virag Gupta said women's reservation could provide a politically acceptable framework for expanding the number of Lok Sabha seats through delimitation while facilitating broader constitutional reforms.

The government has not officially confirmed the strategy, but political observers say the BJP's moves in recent weeks suggest a coordinated effort to consolidate numbers before the monsoon session begins.