(From left to right) Ananga Udaya Singh Deo, Kalpataru Das, Sarojini Hembram and Raghunath Mohapatra with chief minister Naveen Patnaik at Assembly in Bhubaneswar and (below) Congress candidate Ranjib Biswal arrives to file his nomination for Rajya Sabha polls. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 28: Race for the Rajya Sabha election gained momentum with filing of nomination papers by all the five aspirants for the four seats falling vacant.

Candidates of the BJD — parliamentary affairs minister Kalpataru Das, textile and handloom minister Sarojini Hembram, former minister A.U. Singh Deo — filed their papers. For the fourth seat, ace sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra, who enjoys the backing of the ruling party, and Congress candidate Ranjib Biswal have submitted their papers.

While it is almost certain that the three BJD candidates will win, the main contest is expected to be between Biswal and Mohapatra. The fate of the fourth seat will be decided on the basis of the valid votes cast on February 7.

An official of the state Assembly said if all the 147 MLAs cast their votes, a candidate will require the first preference votes of 29.41 MLAs.

“In case of a tie, the second preference votes will be taken into consideration under the single transferable voting system,” he said.

Sources said to ensure Mohapatra’s victory, the BJD would try to take advantage of the internal squabbles of the Congress. “The Congress is a divided house. If the Congress MLAs vote according to their conscience, the Independent candidate, whose contribution to the field of art and sculpture is immense, will certainly win,” said BJD MP Sashi Bhushan Behera.

Throughout this morning and afternoon, there was hectic political activity in the premises of the state assembly. All the three BJD official candidates and the independent candidate came along with the BJD supremo and chief minister Naveen Patnaik to the office of the returning officer and filed their papers.

Congress candidate RanjibBiswal was accompanied by 17 MLAs and Congress legislature party leader Bhupinder Singh and Pradesh Congress Committee president Jaydev Jena. As all the 27 MLAs did not turn up, speculation is rife that Biswal might not be able to rope in the support of all the MLAs. “I am not fighting the election, it is the Congress party which is in the election fray,” said Biswal.

Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh said: “We all are united. We have our game plan but we won’t disclose it.”

In a related move, the Congress today withdrew the suspension of Mamata Madhi. The MLA had been punished for defying the party whip.