Bhubaneswar: The Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha were held on Monday, featuring a mix of expected victories and surprising cross-voting. Notably, Independent candidate Dilip Ray and the BJD-Congress-CPI(M) alliance candidate Datteswar Hota each received 23 first-preference votes.
Odisha BJP unit president Manmohan Samal and sitting MP Sujeet Kumar won on the party’s official ticket, each securing 35 votes in the 147-member Odisha Assembly. Dilip Ray, contesting as an Independent with BJP support, received 23 votes, further strengthening the party’s representation in the Upper House.
From the BJD, Santrupt Misra secured 31 votes, while Datteswar Hota, the renowned urologist and the common candidate of the BJD-Congress-CPI(M) alliance, also received 23 votes.
The four Rajya Sabha seats had fallen vacant on April 2 following the retirement of sitting members. The winners are expected to receive their membership certificates from the returning officer shortly, officially joining the Upper House.
With this outcome, the BJP consolidates its presence in the Rajya Sabha from Odisha, leaving the BJD with a single seat. The elections also reflected subtle cross-voting trends, indicating some deviation from party lines in the assembly.
