In a dramatic repeat of history, industrialist and former Union Minister Dilip Ray has once again emerged victorious in the Rajya Sabha election from Odisha, securing the fourth and most contested seat on Monday.
Running as an independent candidate with backing from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ray defeated the joint opposition nominee, eminent urologist Dr Datteswar Hota, who was fielded by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Congress, and CPI(M).
The win came courtesy of significant cross-voting from opposition ranks. Reports indicate that eight BJD MLAs and three from Congress defied party whips to support Ray. This provided the crucial edge in a seat where no single alliance had an outright majority for all four vacancies.
Among the BJD rebels were Banki MLA Debi Ranjan Tripathy, Choudwar-Cuttack’s Souvic Biswal, Baliguda’s Chakramani Kanhar, Basta’s Subasini Jena, Jayadev’s Naba Kishor Mallick, Tirtol’s Ramakant Bhoi, and the two suspended MLAs — Arabinda Mohapatra (Patkura) and Sanatan Mahakud (Champua).
From Congress, Barabati-Cuttack’s Sofia Firdous, Mohana’s Dasarathi Gamang, and Sanakhemundi’s Ramesh Jena cast their votes for Ray.
Ray needed at least eight first-preference votes to cross the victory threshold in the proportional representation system. With the BJP’s own strength and support from independents, combined with these cross-votes, he secured the seat decisively, often through second-preference transfers in the counting process.
The defections highlighted deep discontent within both BJD and Congress. BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik and Congress state president Bhakta Charan Das failed to keep their legislators united despite intense efforts, including hotel stays and meetings.
Notably, Chakramani Kanhar, who had been missing for three days, appeared directly at the Assembly to vote. Souvic Biswal’s cross-vote was reportedly motivated by revenge over the alleged humiliation faced by his father, Prabhat Biswal, during protests against BJD leader Dr Santrupt Mishra’s candidacy earlier.
Similarly, some Congress MLAs skipped initial party meetings before crossing over.
The BJP, which already secured two seats comfortably (its nominees Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar), celebrated the outcome as a major boost, giving it three representatives from the four seats. BJD’s Santrupt Mishra won one seat as expected.
This result echoes Ray’s sensational 2002 victory as an independent after his expulsion from BJD, when cross-voting from BJD and BJP MLAs propelled him to the Upper House.
Political analysts see this as a setback for the opposition alliance and a sign of shifting loyalties in Odisha’s post-election landscape following the BJP’s rise to power.
