BJD's Strategic Alliances in Odisha's Rajya Sabha Battle

Senior BJD leader Santrupt Misra and urologist Datteswar Hota have filed nominations for the Rajya Sabha in Odisha. The BJD, backed by Congress, aims to prevent the BJP from securing three of the four available seats. Collaborative efforts are politically significant, given the BJD-Congress history.

On Thursday, two candidates from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha, senior leader Santrupt Misra and esteemed urologist Datteswar Hota, filed their nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections. They submitted their papers at the assembly secretariat amid a supportive gathering that included BJD president and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The filing event also saw the presence of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee chief Bhakta Charan Das and CPI(M) state secretary Suresh Panigrahy. Patnaik expressed his confidence in the success of Misra and Hota, while also urging other parties to support Hota as a 'common candidate'.

The BJP has nominated its state unit president Manmohan Samal and sitting MP Sujeet Kumar. Political alliances have shifted as Congress hints at backing BJD's 'common candidate', underscoring an effort to curb BJP's potential victory in three of the four vacant Rajya Sabha seats. This collaboration seeks to reshape the political dynamics in Odisha.

(With inputs from agencies.)