Bhubaneswar: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday issued a whip for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
In a note, Government Chief Whip Saroj Pradhan directed all party MLAs to remain present in the State Assembly on March 16 for the voting process.
BJP achieved absolute majority on its own in the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections, winning 78 of the 147 seats. The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) was reduced to 51 seats.
A day earlier, BJD and Odisha Congress issued a strict whip to its MLAs, ordering their presence in the state capital until the day of Rajya Sabha polls.
The whip is a precautionary step by all the political parties to try and prevent possible last-minute absences or shifts in allegiance in the polls for four vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha.
Polling will be on Monday from 9 am to 4 pm at the Odisha Legislative Assembly premises.
