New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Amid buzz over Rajya Sabha nominations for Odisha’s four vacant seats, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi met BJP national president Nitin Nabin in New Delhi on Friday, sparking discussions about his possible candidacy.
There has been speculation over Nitin Nabin quitting as MLA from Bihar to become Rajya Sabha member since his appointment as BJP’s national working president on December 14, 2025. The five-term MLA was elected unopposed as party president on January 19.
The ruling BJP in Odisha is poised to secure two seats in the upcoming elections, while the opposition BJD is set to claim one based on their respective strengths in the state Assembly following the 2024 elections. The fourth seat remains contested with the first preference vote not in favour of any one single party, opening the door for strategic alliances, cross-voting, or independent support.
The timing of Majhi’s visit to the national capital, where he laid the foundation stone for new Odisha Bhawan the previous day, has fuelled speculation that discussions may have touched on candidate selection and party strategy for the Upper House polls. Officially, however, the interaction has been described as a routine consultation on organisational coordination and development priorities.
“Called on Shri @NitinNabin Ji, President of the Bharatiya Janata Party @BJP4India, today and held productive discussions on strengthening organisational coordination and accelerating development initiatives in Odisha. Reaffirmed our shared commitment to good governance, inclusive growth, and the welfare of the people of our state,” the CM posted on X.
On Thursday, Odisha BJP president Manmohan 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 told a presser.
If Nitin Nabin is fielded from Odisha, it would signal the central leadership’s growing strategic focus on the state. Such a step could substantially consolidate the party’s organisational strength in Odisha while reinforcing the Chief Minister’s close working relationship with the top national leadership.
THE RAJYA SABHA POLITICS
The 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, setting the stage for a keenly watched contest.
In the 147-member Odisha Legislative Assembly, the BJP has 79 MLAs and the support of three Independents., giving it an effective strength of 82 votes. The 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).
The BJP is comfortably positioned to win two seats. After securing those, it would have about 22 surplus votes, eight short of the threshold needed for a third seat on its own. The BJD, after electing one member, would be left with roughly 18 surplus votes. The Congress, with 14 MLAs, lacks sufficient strength to win a seat on its own, even if it secures the support of one CPI(M) member.
However, the Congress has announced to field a candidate for the upcoming polls despite lacking adequate numbers of MLAs, leading to speculation over a possible understanding between the grand old party and the BJD. The party’s Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam said that they have proposed that the BJD either field a candidate for the fourth seat with its support or back a Congress nominee to prevent the BJP from winning it.
BJD MP Sasmit Patra collected six nomination forms as soon as the notification was issued on Thursday, sparking speculations about the opposition party’s strategy for the polls on March 16. Meanwhile, the political affairs committee of the BJD has authorised Naveen Patnaik to take the final decision. The party is slated to hold another crucial meeting on Friday to discuss strategy for the upcoming elections.
The nomination filing process will continue till March 5.
