In a move that challenges electoral arithmetic as much as it tests political goodwill, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday announced former corporate businessman Santrupt Mishra and urologist Datteswar Hota for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Odisha despite having the numbers to send just one MP.
Biju Janata Dal chief and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. (BJD)
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Four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha will become vacant after the term of BJP MPs Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta, and BJD MPs Niranjan Bishi and Muzibulla Khan alias Munna Khan ends.
BJD president Naveen Patnaik named entrepreneur-turned-politician Santrupt Misra for the third seat and urologist Dr Datteswar Hota for the fourth, while making a pointed appeal to all political parties to back Hota as a “common candidate.” With 79 MLAs and three independent MLAs supporting it, the BJP can comfortably secure two seats with a surplus of 20 votes. The BJD, with 50 votes, can claim one seat with 20 votes remaining. The fourth seat becomes the crucible where ambitions collide.
Dr Hota is a founding Vice-Chancellor of the Odisha University of Health Sciences and former principal of SCB Medical College and Hospital. The nomination of Santrupt Misra for the safer third seat was near certain considering his proximity to Patnaik. Misra joined the BJD ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and contested from Cuttack, where he was defeated. After the 2024 loss, he was announced as political secretary to the former chief minister, signalling that Patnaik continues to look beyond the traditional political class.
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Political analyst Rabi Das said that the ruling BJP has limited incentive to rescue a principal rival from its own numerical shortfall. “This attempt by Naveen Patnaik is as much a message to his own ranks as it is to the opposition that the BJD may be diminished but not dismantled,” he said.
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Political analyst Rabi Das said that the ruling BJP has limited incentive to rescue a principal rival from its own numerical shortfall. “This attempt by Naveen Patnaik is as much a message to his own ranks as it is to the opposition that the BJD may be diminished but not dismantled,” he said.
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.
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Home/India News/Odisha: BJD fields 2 Rajya Sabha candidates despite falling short of numbers
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