BHUBAESWAR: In a closely contested Rajya Sabha election, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its supported candidate secured three of the four seats from Odisha, while the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) managed to win one.
The winners declared on Monday include Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal and sitting BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar, BJD nominee Santrupt Misra, and former Union Minister Dilip Ray, who contested as an Independent candidate backed by the BJP.
Tight Contest Leads to Second-Preference Vote Counting
The election witnessed intense political developments as Dilip Ray and BJD-backed candidate Datteswar Hota each received 23 first-preference votes, necessitating a second-preference vote count.
The BJD had fielded Hota as a common candidate with support from the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M). However, this strategy faltered as several legislators reportedly voted against their respective party lines.
Ray’s victory is viewed as a significant political comeback. A close associate of former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, Ray was previously elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent candidate in 2002. Despite the BJP lacking sufficient numbers for a straightforward win, cross-voting by legislators is believed to have played a crucial role in his success.
Cross-Voting Plays Key Role
Sources indicate that cross-voting by some MLAs from both the Congress and the BJD was instrumental in Ray’s win. Three Congress legislators and six BJD MLAs, along with two suspended BJD MLAs, allegedly voted in favor of the BJP-backed Independent candidate, reportedly defying party whips.
Among the Congress legislators who allegedly cross-voted were Ramesh Jena, MLA from Sanakhemundi; Dasarathi Gomanga, MLA from Mohana; and Sofia Firdous, MLA from Barabati-Cuttack.
Several BJD legislators were also reported to have voted against their party’s official candidate, including Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda), Souvic Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Subasini Jena (Basta), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol), Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki), and Naba Kishor Mallick (Jayadev).
Additionally, two suspended BJD MLAs, Sanatan Mahakud (Champua) and Arvind Mohapatra (Patkura), also reportedly voted in favour of Dilip Ray.
BJD’s Strategy Falls Short
After securing one seat, the BJD had 18 surplus votes and hoped to consolidate support for Hota with backing from 14 Congress MLAs and one CPI(M) legislator. However, the plan collapsed due to cross-voting by multiple legislators, reportedly including seven from the BJD and three from the Congress.
All 147 members of the Odisha Legislative Assembly participated in the voting process held on Monday, making this election one of the most closely watched political contests in the state in recent years.
CM Majhi Congratulates Winners
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi congratulated the newly elected members of the Rajya Sabha.
In a post on the social media platform X, Majhi extended his greetings to BJP state president Manmohan Samal, senior leader Sujeet Kumar, and BJP-backed Independent candidate Dilip Ray. He hailed their victories as significant milestones in the collective effort to create a “Samruddha Odisha.”
I extend my heartfelt congratulations to our party’s State President Shri @SamalManmohan7 Ji, senior leader Shri @SujeetKOfficial Ji
and party supported Independent candidate Shri @DilipRayOdisha Ji on being elected to the Rajya Sabha.This victory is an important milestone in… pic.twitter.com/aCjA4yx5yR
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) March 16, 2026
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that their presence in the Upper House of Parliament would amplify Odisha’s voice at the national level and further the state’s development agenda.
Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, Majhi emphasised that the newly elected members would adhere to the principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.” He also offered prayers to Jagannath for their success and wished them a fruitful tenure.
Profiles of the Winners
Manmohan Samal
A veteran BJP leader and state BJP President, Samal returns to the Rajya Sabha after more than two decades. A former state minister, he lost in the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections but was re-elected unopposed as BJP’s Odisha president in July 2025 for a fourth term. His leadership has been widely credited with the party’s historic performance in the 2024 Assembly elections.
Sujeet Kumar:
Currently serving as a Rajya Sabha MP, Sujeet Kumar’s previous term was set to end in April. He joined the BJP in September 2024 after resigning from the BJD and has been renominated by the party for the 2026 Rajya Sabha elections.
Santrupt Misra:
An entrepreneur turned politician, Misra joined the BJD before the 2024 general elections. He contested the Lok Sabha elections from Cuttack but lost to BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab. Subsequently, the BJD nominated him for the Rajya Sabha in 2026.
Dilip Ray:
A seasoned politician, Ray has served two terms as an MLA in the Odisha Assembly and was the state’s Industry Minister from 1990 to 1995. He later became a Lok Sabha MP and held ministerial positions at the Centre during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government. Ray was previously elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2002.
