Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday met BJP national president Nitin Nabin in Delhi ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls scheduled to be held on March 16.
The visit assumes significance as the BJP is in the final stage of selecting candidates for the elections to the Upper House seats.
Majhi wrote on an X post: “Called on Nitin Nabin, President of the Bharatiya Janata Party today and held productive discussions on strengthening organisational coordination and accelerating development initiatives in Odisha. Reaffirmed our shared commitment to good governance, inclusive growth, and the welfare of the people of our state.”
The meeting has fuelled speculation that the BJP has finalised its candidates from Odisha for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. During his Delhi visit, Majhi also met several senior leaders, including railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The Rajya Sabha election is shaping up to be particularly interesting, as Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal has reportedly declined to represent the state in the Upper House. Party insiders believe such a move could effectively mark the end of his active political career. At a meeting held at the party office in Bhubaneswar last week, attended by Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, leaders discussed the Rajya Sabha election and possible candidates.
Elections to four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha will be held on March 16. The tenure of BJD MPs Niranjan Bishi and Muzibulla Khan, and BJP MPs Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar, will end on April 2. Mohanta and Kumar were originally elected on BJD tickets but later switched allegiance to the BJP after it ended the BJD’s 24-year rule in the state.
The deadline for filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha polls is March 5, which coincides with Union home minister Amit Shah’s scheduled visit to Odisha.
Sources indicate that the RSS is keen on fielding Sujeet Kumar, given his organisational background. However, several BJP leaders are opposed to the move, arguing that long-serving party workers who have sacrificed for the organisation deserve to be sent to the Upper House.
While some leaders are advocating for Mamata Mohanta, citing her tribal background, others insist that defectors from the BJD should not be rewarded. “We have given our blood and sweat for the party. One of the state BJP leaders with deep roots in the organisation should be sent to the Upper House, not opportunists. The central leadership should not impose leaders from outside,” said a senior leader.
Adding an element of intrigue to the Rajya Sabha race, the name of former Comptroller and Auditor General Girish Chandra Murmu has surfaced, along with two other central leaders.
Odisha has 10 Rajya Sabha MPs — seven from the BJD and three from the BJP. In the 147-member Odisha Assembly, the BJP holds 79 seats, followed by the BJD with 50, Congress with 14, CPI(M) with one and three Independents. The BJP enjoys the support of all three Independents. Based on its strength in the Assembly, the BJP can comfortably secure two seats, while the BJD can win one. The fourth seat, however, remains uncertain, as no party has the numbers to clinch it on its own.
Meanwhile, the BJD has collected six sets of nomination papers. Party sources indicated that BJD president Naveen Patnaik may reward loyalists such as Snehangini Chhuria, who earlier contested the Assembly bypoll from Nuapada. “The party supremo will take a call and reward those who have remained loyal. But we have to wait for an official announcement,” a senior leader said.
Naveen met party MLAs at Naveen Niwas on Friday evening and held detailed discussions on the issue to decide the party’s future course of action.