In a moment of celebration for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi personally congratulated the party’s victorious Rajya Sabha candidates, Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar, in his chamber at the Odisha Legislative Assembly today.
The felicitation comes on the day of the Rajya Sabha biennial elections, where polling took place for four seats from Odisha amid reports of cross-voting and intense political activity. Manmohan Samal, the state BJP president, and Sujeet Kumar, a sitting Rajya Sabha MP, secured their positions, bolstering the party’s representation in the Upper House.
Accompanied by garlanding and warm exchanges, the Chief Minister highlighted the significance of their victory in advancing the state government’s vision of ‘Samriddha Odisha’ (Prosperous Odisha). In his message shared on social media, Majhi emphasised that the presence of these leaders in Parliament would amplify Odisha’s interests, development, and public service at the national level.
The Chief Minister invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (Together with All, Development for All) and sought the blessings of Lord Jagannath for their successful tenure.
The event also acknowledged the contribution of BJP-backed independent candidate Dilip Ray, who won the 4th Rajya Sabha seat defeating Dr Datteswar Hota, BJD-Congress’s common candidate, in a closely watched contest marked by alleged cross-voting from opposition MLAs.
The Rajya Sabha polls in Odisha followed nominations filed earlier this month, with the BJP fielding Samal and Kumar as official candidates while supporting Ray as an independent to maximise gains. The results reflect the BJP’s strengthened position in the state assembly following recent electoral successes.
