The nomination process for four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha, part of a nationwide election for 37 Upper House berths, has officially commenced.
Candidates can file their nominations until March 5, with scrutiny scheduled for March 6 and withdrawals allowed until 3 PM on March 9. If required, polling will take place on March 16.
The seats are becoming vacant as the terms of current members Munna Khan, Niranjan Bishi, Mamata Mohanta, and Sujit Kumar expire on April 2. The Election Commission has appointed Odisha Assembly Secretary Satyabrata Rout as the Returning Officer, with Bidyadhar Majhi serving as Assistant Returning Officer. Rout will oversee the entire process for these four seats.
A dedicated office has been set up within the Assembly premises for handling nominations. Forms are available and can be submitted from 11 AM to 3 PM on working days until March 5, excluding government holidays. On March 6, scrutiny will begin at 11:30 AM. Withdrawals must be made personally by the candidate or an authorized representative by the deadline. If polling occurs, it will be held from 9 AM to 4 PM in Room 54 of the Assembly, with results announced the same evening.
Currently, Odisha has 10 Rajya Sabha seats: seven held by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and three by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Of the four vacant seats, two belong to BJP and two to BJD. Based on the strength in the Odisha Assembly, BJP is poised to win two seats unopposed, while BJD can secure one. The fourth seat, however, lacks a clear majority for any party, potentially leading to a contested poll.
To win a seat, a candidate needs 30 first-preference votes from MLAs. The voting follows a proportional representation system with single transferable votes, where second-preference votes come into play if no candidate reaches the quota initially. Vote values are calculated based on this system, making strategic alliances crucial for the fourth seat.
Besides the outgoing members, BJD’s other Rajya Sabha MPs include Sulata Deo, Debashish Samantaray, Subhasish Khuntia, Manas Mangaraj, and Sasmit Patra. BJP is represented by Union Railways and Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Notably, Mamata Mohanta and Sujit Kumar were originally elected on BJD tickets but resigned last year to join BJP and were re-elected to the Rajya Sabha.
Who Will Head to Rajya Sabha from Odisha?
No party has finalized candidates yet, heightening speculation. BJP’s state in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar announced that the party’s core committee has forwarded potential names to the parliamentary board after a meeting chaired by state president Manmohan Samal. A decision is expected within a day or two, with nominations to be filed by March 5. Outgoing BJP MP Sujit Kumar met party leaders on Thursday, fueling talks of his possible renomination as a reward for switching from BJD.
BJD Rajya Sabha leader Dr. Sasmit Patra collected six nomination forms on Thursday but did not specify how many seats the party will contest. Discussions within BJD suggest Munna Khan could be renominated.
Congress state president Bhakta Charan Das stated that the party will soon finalise its candidate after consultations with the high command in Delhi. He plans to visit Delhi soon, with a decision by February 28. Congress, with 14 MLAs (plus one CPI(M)-supported), lacks the 30 votes needed to win outright but can nominate for one seat with the required 10 proposer MLAs. Das expressed interest in allying with BJD for the fourth seat and has sought a meeting with BJD president Naveen Patnaik, hoping for a response by February 28.
The fourth seat’s outcome hinges on BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, who remains silent on strategy. BJD and BJP could jointly secure it, or BJD and Congress. Senior BJD MLA and former minister Dr. Arun Kumar Sahoo hinted at internal opposition to supporting BJP, stating he does not want more BJP MPs in Rajya Sabha.
With assembly strength as the deciding factor, parties are navigating alliances and tactics carefully. The coming days will reveal how Odisha’s political landscape shapes the Upper House representation.
