BJD fields Santrupt Misra, Datteswar Hota for Rajya Sabha from Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday formally announced its two candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Odisha, setting the stage for a closely watched contest in the State Assembly.

BJD chief and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Dr. Santrupt Misra and Dr. He announced that Datteswar Hota will represent the party in the Upper House of Parliament.

Dr., a former corporate executive and senior BJD leader from Cuttack. Santrupt Misra is currently serving as the political secretary to the BJD chief. He had earlier contested the Lok Sabha elections from Cuttack against BJP’s Bhartruhari Mahatab but was unsuccessful. Within the party, Misra is seen as a key strategist in strengthening the organizational structure of the BJD.

On the other hand, Dr. Datteswar Hota is an eminent urologist whose name resonates beyond party boundaries. Describing him as the “common candidate”, Naveen Patnaik appealed to all political parties to extend their support to ensure Hota’s election to the Rajya Sabha.

According to election arithmetic, each candidate needs to get at least 30 first preference votes to secure a Rajya Sabha seat from Odisha. The BJD currently has 48 active members in the State Assembly, comfortably ensuring Misra’s victory with the party’s 30 first preference votes. However, after allocating 30 votes to Misra, BJD will be left with 18 votes; This number is below the number required for Hota.

The Congress, which has 14 seats in the Assembly, was previously elected by Dr. He suggested the name Hota. Political observers believe that with the joint effort of BJD and Congress, Hota can ensure the required number of votes is reached.

The announcement brings to an end several days of internal talks within the BJD. Senior leaders along with Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik held extensive consultations before finalizing the candidates.

Santrupt Misra and Dr. With Datteswar Hota’s official statement, the BJD has signaled both organizational consolidation and a possible inter-party agreement as it enters the Rajya Sabha elections with calculated confidence.