BJP’s Two Nominees, Dilip Ray File Nomination for Rajya Sabha

Bureau,Odishabarta

Bhubaneswar,) 05/03.26): In a high-stakes political move, BJP nominees Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar, along with senior leader Dilip Ray, filed their nomination papers on Thursday for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Odisha.

The nominations were submitted at the State Legislative Assembly in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and senior BJP leaders.

Dilip Ray entered the fray as an Independent candidate backed by the BJP, set to contest against BJD’s Dr Datteswar Hota for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat.

efore filing his papers, Ray paid tribute to his mentor Biju Patnaik on the statesman’s birth anniversary. Expressing confidence over his chances, Ray recalled his 2002 Rajya Sabha victory through cross-voting, despite lacking the required first-preference votes.

The BJP’s strategy aims to secure three of the four seats. With 82 MLAs, the party is assured of two seats and will have 22 surplus votes, eight short of the 30 needed for a third. The BJD, with Congress support, is backing Dr Hota, setting up a keen contest.

Meanwhile, Samal, BJP’s Odisha president, is poised to return to Parliament after 22 years, while Sujeet Kumar, who switched from BJD to BJP in 2024, seeks another term. The elections are scheduled for March 16

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