Out of six nomination papers filed for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Odisha, five have been declared valid after scrutiny on March 6, 2026. One nomination was rejected.
The valid candidates include BJP’s state president Manmohan Samal and Sujit Kumar, BJD’s Santrupt Mishra, common candidate Dr Datteshwar Hota, and independent candidate Dilip Ray. The nomination of Telangana’s Kante Sayana was rejected during the verification process.
The contest for the fourth seat is expected to be intense between Dilip Ray and Dr Datteshwar Hota. BJD and Congress have extended support to Hota, while the BJP is backing Ray. Dilip Ray stated that in 2002, he fought with a planned strategy involving two months of groundwork, but this time the decision came suddenly. He expressed hope that legislators will vote according to their conscience.
BJD candidate Santrupt Mishra confirmed that his party has reached a temporary understanding with Congress, which could not field its own candidate. Congress has therefore decided to support the common candidate announced by the BJD.
The last date for filing nominations was March 5. Scrutiny took place on March 6, while March 9 is the deadline for withdrawal of nominations. Voting will be held on March 16 from 9 am to 4 pm, followed by counting at 5 pm.
