Odisha RS Polls: BJD-Congress Show of Unity As Nominations Close
BJP eyes two seats; fourth berth set for high-stakes political battle
Bhubaneswar: The race for the Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha intensified on the final day of nominations on Thursday, with candidates from major political parties filing their papers before the Returning Officer in Bhubaneswar amid visible political signalling and strategic positioning.
Naveen Patnaik and Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das were seen seated together during the nomination filing of BJD candidate Santrupt Misra, underlining a rare moment of bonhomie between the regional party and the Congress. Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam and several MLAs from both parties were also present.
Santrupt Misra filed three sets of nomination papers as the official candidate of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Meanwhile, Dr Datteswar Hota submitted his nomination as a joint candidate of the BJD and Congress, further consolidating opposition unity for one of the four seats at stake.
On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded two candidates — Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar — both of whom filed their nominations. Former Union minister Dilip Ray also entered the fray as an Independent candidate with declared support from the BJP.
In the 147-member Odisha Assembly, the BJP commands 82 MLAs, including three Independents, putting it in a comfortable position to secure two Rajya Sabha seats. With 60 votes required for each candidate, the BJP’s official nominees are poised for smooth election.
The BJD, with an effective strength of 48 MLAs, is well placed to ensure the victory of its official nominee. However, the contest for the fourth seat has triggered intense political manoeuvring.
The winning threshold for the remaining seat stands at 30 votes. After electing two members, the BJP will be left with 22 surplus votes. The BJD, after securing one seat, is expected to retain 18 surplus votes. With the declared support of 14 Congress MLAs and one CPI legislator, the opposition combine appears numerically close to the target.
Yet, seasoned observers caution that arithmetic alone may not decide the outcome. Political circles recall the dramatic 2002 Rajya Sabha election episode in Odisha when cross-voting from BJD and Congress legislators altered expected results. If Dilip Ray manages to engineer cross-voting within opposition ranks, the contest could tilt in favour of the BJP-backed candidate.
As nominations close, attention now shifts to whether party discipline will hold firm or whether the fourth seat will witness a surprise twist in Odisha’s unfolding political drama.