Bhubaneswar: Hours after the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a notification for election to four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) collected six nomination forms from the state Assembly Secretariat for the biennial poll.
As the process of filing nominations commenced with the formal notification, the regional outfit became the first political party to procure forms for the Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled to be held on March 16. According to the notification, the last date for filing nominations is March 5.
Senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra, who collected the nomination forms from the Assembly secretariat, did not share any information on the party’s plan for the biennial elections.
While the opposition party nis comfortably placed to win one Rajya Sabha seat given the number of its MLAs in the state Assembly, the decision to collect multiple forms indicates that the regional outfit is ready with strategic options open. The move suggests a calculated approach.
Observers are of the view that BJD would be able to field more than one candidate with the additional forms if political equations undergo changes ahead of the election. Fielding multiple candidates would also serve as a safeguard during scrutiny and withdrawal stages.
Notably, four seats in the Upper House from Odisha will fall vacant on April 2 following the completion of the tenure of Niranjan Bishi and Munna Khan of the BJD, and Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta of the BJP.
A glance at the existing political arithmetic shows that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 79 MLAs and support from three Independents in the 147-member Assembly. Therefore, it is poised to secure two seats comfortably.
BJD’s tally stands at 48 following the suspension of two of its legislators last month. The Congress has 14 MLAs, and the CPI(M) has one.
Under the single transferable vote system used for Rajya Sabha elections, a candidate typically requires around 30-32 first-preference votes to meet the quota (calculated as total valid votes divided by the number of vacancies plus one, plus one).
All eyes are not set on the fourth seat as no party can win it independently without cross-voting or support. For the fourth seat, the BJD would require backing from either the BJP or Congress to mount a serious challenge.
Political circles are abuzz with speculation over whether the party will field a candidate for this seat, opt for a high-profile non-political Odia personality to build consensus or stay out to avoid unnecessary risk.
Under the prevailing political situation, BJD is likely to focus on loyalty and discipline is expected to influence candidate selection, particularly for the party’s “safe” seat.
The collection of nomination forms assumed significance as the political affairs committee (PAC) of BJD is slated to hold an important meeting at Naveen Niwas on Thursday evening. The meeting is expected to finalise the candidate for the assured seat and deliberate on the party’s approach to the fourth seat.
As per sources, the PAC may authorise BJD president and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly Naveen Patnaik to take the final decision, reflecting his central role in shaping the party’s strategy. As Odisha’s political temperature rises, the purchase of six nomination forms underlines BJD’s intent to remain tactically prepared.
