Bhubaneswar: With Biju Janata Dal (BJD) naming Datteswar Hota as ‘common candidate’ for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha, Congress on Saturday announced its support to the eminent urologist.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das said he had met BJD president Naveen Patnaik and discussed the need to field a common candidate for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat.
While naming Santrupt Misra as the official nominee of the party, the BJD supremo had declared Hota the ‘common candidate’ for the Rajya Sabha polls to be held on March 16. Naveen, who is the leader of opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly, also urged all parties to support Hota
“I had met the BJD president last Monday and held discussions regarding a common candidate for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat. We will support Datteswar Hota in the March 16 elections. There should not be any horse trading in Rajya Sabha polls,” said PCC chief Bhakta Das.
A glance at Notably, four Rajya Sabha MPs from Odisha are scheduled to retire on April 2. The retiring members are Niranjan Bishi and Munna Khan of BJD, and Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta of the BJP. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has already announced the schedule for election to the Rajya Seats set to fall vacant.
A glance at the numerical strength of political parties state Assembly shows that BJP has 79 MLAs in the 147-member legislature. Besides, the party has the support of three independent legislators. The ruling party is almost certain to win two of the four vacant Rajya Sabha seats. The ruling party is yet to announce its candidates for the polls.
BJD, the main opposition party in Odisha, effectively has 48 MLAs after the suspension of two legislators. The regional party is in a position to win one Rajya Sabha seat comfortably. BJD has nominated corporate leader-turned-politician Santrupt Mishra for the third secure seat.
However, neither BJP nor BJD has the required number to win the fourth seat. Congress having 14 MLAs had earlier approached the BJD to field a common candidate for the fourth seat.
