The Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha on March 16, 2026, delivered a major political blow to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and its leader Naveen Patnaik, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its backed candidates securing three out of four seats amid widespread allegations of cross-voting and horse-trading.
BJP nominees Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar won comfortably, while BJP-supported independent candidate and former Union Minister Dilip Ray triumphed in the keenly contested fourth seat, defeating the joint BJD-Congress-CPI(M) nominee, eminent urologist Dr. Datteswar Hota. BJD’s Dr. Santrupt Mishra secured the party’s sole victory.
The results, marking Odisha’s first fiercely contested Rajya Sabha polls in over a decade, highlighted deep fractures within the opposition ranks. Reports indicate that 11 MLAs—six from BJD, two suspended BJD members, and three from Congress—cross-voted in favour of Dilip Ray, enabling his win despite the opposition alliance’s combined strength.
In a post-poll statement, BJD president and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik congratulated Dr Santrupt Mishra on his victory and praised Dr Datteswar Hota for conducting an ethical, principled campaign. Patnaik attributed the adverse outcome to “some conspirators and self-interested leaders,” vowing that the BJD’s fight would continue in the spirit of Biju Patnaik’s ideals.
ରାଜ୍ୟସଭା ନିର୍ବାଚନରେ ବିଜୁ ଜନତା ଦଳର ବିଜୟୀ ପ୍ରାର୍ଥୀ ଡକ୍ଟର ସଂତୃପ୍ତ ମିଶ୍ରଙ୍କୁ ମୋର ଅଭିନନ୍ଦନ ଜଣାଉଛି।
କମନ୍ ପ୍ରାର୍ଥୀ ଥିବା ଡାକ୍ତର ଦତ୍ତେଶ୍ଵର ହୋତା ଯେଉଁଭଳି ଭାବେ ନୀତି, ଆଦର୍ଶ ଓ ନିଷ୍ଠାର ସହ ନିର୍ବାଚନ ଲଢ଼ିଲେ ସେଥିପାଇଁ ତାଙ୍କୁ ସାଧୁବାଦ ଜଣାଉଛି। କିଛି କୁଚକ୍ରୀ ଓ ସ୍ୱାର୍ଥପର ନେତାଙ୍କ ଯୋଗୁଁ ଫଳାଫଳ ଆମ ସପକ୍ଷରେ…
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) March 16, 2026
The BJP, which holds a strong majority in the 147-member Odisha Assembly (79 MLAs plus three independents), celebrated the outcome as a reflection of public mandate under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi hailed it as a “memorable day” for the state, with all three BJP-backed candidates achieving victory with significant margins.
