Bhubaneswar, March 16: Renowned businessman and former Union Minister Dilip Ray won the Rajya Sabha election in Odisha defeating popular doctor Datteswar Hota, the common candidate of BJD and BJP.
The elections for four seats were held on Monday in the state Assembly premises. While the ruling BJP nominated its state president Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar, the BJD had fielded Santrupt Misra. As both parties had adequate numbers to win the three seats, the first three candidates won the poll.
However, an interesting fight was seen between two independent candidates Ray and Hota for the fourth seat. Though the BJD, Congress and CPI(M) were having sufficient members to jointly win the fourth seat, the entire arithmetic of the two opposition parties proved wrong and Ray emerged victorious in the poll.
Both Hota and Ray got the same number of first preference voters. However, Ray secured a higher number of second preference votes from the MLAs across party lines, for which he won the Upper House seat, sources said.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das told reporters that three of its MLAs – Ramesh Jena, Dasarathi Gomango and Sofia Firdous – have “voted in favour of the BJP” in the poll.
Similarly, BJD leader and poll agent Pratap Deb said two suspended MLAs Sanatan Mahakud & Aravind Mahapatra and six other MLAs of his party have given cross votes. The six sitting MLAs who have given votes in favour of the BJP are Souvic Biswal, Devi Ranjan Tripathy, Subhasini Jena, Chakramani Kanhar, Ramakanta Bhoi and Naba Kishore Mallik.
Taking to X, Dillip Ray said, “Deeply humbled and grateful. Today’s victory in the Rajya Sabha election from Odisha is not mine alone — it reflects the trust and goodwill shown by Hon’ble Members of the Legislative Assembly across political lines. I sincerely thank the Hon’ble Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party for their steadfast support. I am equally grateful to the MLAs from the BJD, Congress, and the Independents who chose to extend their support.”
Such moments reflect the true strength of our democracy — where the larger interests of the people and the state bring everyone together, he said.
“I accept this responsibility with humility and a deep sense of duty. In the Rajya Sabha, I will strive to represent the aspirations of the people of Odisha and work sincerely for the progress of our state and our nation. With folded hands, I thank everyone for the faith and trust placed in me,” assured the newly elected MP.
In the 147-member Odisha Assembly, the BJP has 79 MLAs and the support of three Independents, while the BJD has 48 members after the suspension of two of its legislators on January 15. The Congress has 14 MLAs and one member of CPI(M).
According to the Rajya Sabha arithmetic in Odisha, one candidate requires 30 first preference votes to win a seat. As the BJP has the support of 82 members, it will have 22 surplus votes after electing its two candidates.
The election is being held as the tenures of four members—Niranjan Bishi and Munna Khan (BJD), and Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta (BJP), expire on April 2.
