Bhubaneswar: Amidst fears of cross-voting, the Congress party has issued a whip to its MLAs in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, directing them to stay in Bhubaneswar till March 16 for the Rajya Sabha elections.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Bhakta Charan Das has instructed the MLAs to participate in the election process and ensure no cross-voting takes place.
The whip is aimed at preventing any potential defections and ensuring the party’s candidate secures the required votes. The Congress is taking all precautions to safeguard its interests in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.
This measure aims to prevent any last-minute absences or cross-voting, which could impact the outcome in the fiercely contested polls for four seats from Odisha.
With five candidates in the fray—including BJD’s Santrupt Misra and common candidate Dr. Datteswar Hota (supported by BJD, Congress, and CPI(M)), BJP’s Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar, and Independent Dilip Ray backed by BJP—the election is poised for a rare contest after over a decade of uncontested wins.
It is pertinent to mention that voting will take place in the Assembly premises from 9 am to 4 pm on March 16, with counting commencing at 5 PM the same day.
