Cross-Voting Fears Prompt BJD, Congress to Issue Whips Ahead of Rajya Sabha Polls

Bhubaneswar: Apprehensions of cross-voting in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Odisha have prompted both the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress to issue whips to their legislators and direct them to remain in Bhubaneswar until the day of voting.

A day after the BJD issued its whip on Wednesday, the Congress followed suit on Thursday, asking its MLAs to stay in the state capital from March 13 to March 16. The move comes amid growing political speculation over possible cross-voting and attempts at horse-trading ahead of the election.

Both parties have instructed their legislators not to leave Bhubaneswar during the crucial period leading up to the polls. While the BJD has directed its MLAs to remain in the capital until March 16, the Congress has also warned of strict disciplinary action against any legislator violating party directives.

The BJD headed by former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik currently holds 50 seats in the 147-member Odisha Assembly, while the Congress has 14 MLAs. The ruling BJP, which has 79 MLAs along with the support of three Independent legislators, has fielded two candidates—state party president Manmohan Samal and former BJD leader Sujeet Kumar. The party is also backing former Union minister Dilip Ray, who is contesting as an Independent.

The BJD has nominated Dr. Santrupt Mishra as its official candidate and has fielded Dr. Datteswar Hota as a ‘common candidate’ for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat, with the Congress extending support to his candidature.

Under the Rajya Sabha voting system, a candidate requires at least 30 first-preference votes to secure election. The BJD is comfortably placed to ensure the victory of its official nominee, Dr. Santrupt Mishra. However, the success of Dr. Datteswar Hota largely depends on the backing of Congress MLAs.

Independent candidate Dilip Ray, who enjoys the support of the BJP, could emerge victorious only if he secures the backing of at least eight MLAs from rival camps, making cross-voting a crucial factor in the contest.

Reacting to the development, senior BJP leader and MLA Jayanarayan Mishra questioned the decision of the two parties to issue whips. “If they were this scared, they should not have fielded candidates,” he remarked.

Leaders from the BJD and the Congress, however, sought to downplay fears of cross-voting. BJD leader Aswini Patra said the party leadership had issued clear instructions to legislators to support the party’s nominees.

“Cross-voting is always an uncertain factor, but we hope none of our MLAs will violate the party line,” he said.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Das said the party leadership remained in constant contact with its MLAs to prevent any possibility of cross-voting.

Political observers believe the Rajya Sabha election could also test the authority of BJD president Naveen Patnaik over his party legislators, particularly in the backdrop of the party’s decision to align with the Congress in the contest.