Rajya Sabha Picks From Odisha Soon, Says BJP Chief Manmohan Samal
Echoing his remarks, BJP’s Odisha in-charge Vijayapal Singh Tomar expressed confidence that the elections would be conducted smoothly and asserted that the party would field “the right candidates” for the Upper House
Bhubaneswar: The suspense surrounding candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Odisha will be resolved shortly, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Manmohan Samal said on Friday.
Addressing reporters in Bhubaneswar, Samal confirmed that the party’s state unit has forwarded a list of probable nominees to the BJP Parliamentary Board for consideration.
“The BJP state committee has received several suggestions. All the names have been sent to the Parliamentary Board, which will take a final decision,” he said.
Samal emphasised that the selection process is being handled at the highest level and that the party will formally announce its nominees once the Parliamentary Board gives its approval.
Echoing his remarks, BJP’s Odisha in-charge Vijayapal Singh Tomar expressed confidence that the elections would be conducted smoothly and asserted that the party would field “the right candidates” for the Upper House.
The terms of four Rajya Sabha members from Odisha — BJP’s Sujit Kumar and Mamata Mohanta, along with Biju Janata Dal’s Munna Khan and Niranjan Bishi — are set to expire in April, setting the stage for a keenly watched contest.
The electoral arithmetic currently favours the BJP. In the 147-member Odisha Assembly, the party commands the support of 82 MLAs, including three Independents. The BJD’s strength stands at 50, while the Congress has 14 members. Two suspended BJD MLAs have indicated they may vote independently in the Rajya Sabha polls, potentially reducing the regional party’s effective strength to 48.
In a parallel political development, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das said he was hopeful of a positive response from BJD president Naveen Patnaik to his proposal for a joint opposition candidate for the fourth seat.
“If the BJD and Congress come together, we can secure the fourth seat. Thirty first-preference votes are required to elect a Rajya Sabha member,” Das said, underscoring the arithmetic behind the proposal.
He added that he was expecting a call from Patnaik soon and would be travelling to New Delhi to consult the Congress high command regarding the party’s strategy for the Rajya Sabha elections.
At least 30 first preference votes are required to elect Rajya Sabha members from Odisha.
With numbers tilting decisively in favour of the BJP but opposition leaders exploring tactical alliances, the forthcoming contest is poised to test Odisha’s evolving political alignments ahead of the Upper House polls.