Bhubaneswar: Following suit after the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the Odisha unit of Congress on Thursday issued a strict three-line whip to its MLAs, mandating their presence in the state capital until March 16 for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
“All the Congress Legislature Party MLAs are directed not to leave HQ and be present in Bhubaneswar from March 13-16 unfailingly,” the note from party whip Dr CS Razeen Ekka said.
This precautionary step comes amid heightened concerns over potential last-minute absences or shifts in allegiance in the closely watched polls for four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha. Voting is scheduled for March 16, with polling from 9 am to 4 pm at the Odisha Legislative Assembly premises.
The Congress, holding 14 seats in the Assembly, along with one CPM MLA, is backing BJD’s ‘common candidate’ Dr Datteswar Hota. This arrangement is an attempt to secure two seats for the Opposition as the ruling BJP is positioned to claim two comfortably with 79 MLAs and the support of three Independents and the BJD one, with a contest likely between Hota and Dilip Ray, who has entered the fray as an Independent candidate with saffron party’s backing, for the fourth.
While BJP has described the newfound bonhomie between BJD and Congress as an “alliance of desperation” driven by sheer opportunism, Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik has accused the ruling party of engaging in horse-trading ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls. “I have requested the state government to take immediate action for lakhs of Odias who are stranded in Middle East countries. But instead of concentrating on that, the BJP in Odisha is focusing on horse-trading in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections here in the state. As you can see, this is a shocking state of affairs in our state,” he told reporters during his visit to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar to meet Sheragada block chairman Krushna Chandra Nayak, undergoing treatment after a brutal attack at the block office on Tuesday.
Wednesday saw former Balasore MP Rabindra Kumar Jena join the BJP, a day after resigning from BJD. His exit has sparked serious concern within the BJD regarding its potential repercussions for the upcoming polls, especially since his wife, Subasini Jena, continues to serve as the incumbent BJD MLA from Basta in Balasore district.
The BJD has 48 MLAs in the state Assembly following the suspension of two legislators, who are likely to cast their votes in favour of Ray. A couple of other ‘disgruntled’ MLAs could also emerge as potential spoilers, complicating the Opposition’s efforts to secure the fourth Rajya Sabha seat.
A section of Congress leaders also seems dissatisfied with the current leadership, especially after the expulsion of former MLA Mohammad Muquim, whose daughter Sofia Firdous is the sitting MLA from Cuttack-Barabati. Sofia and Sanakhemundi MLA Ramesh Chandra Jena had earlier skipped a key Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting to discuss election strategy and ensure unified support for Hota.
