BHUBANESWAR : With the fourth Rajya Sabha seat from Odisha putting up intriguing possibilities, political maneuvering has commenced among political parties to stitch the numbers.
The ruling BJP does not have the legislature strength to secure a third seat and the BJD can muster only one while the Congress cannot even think of a seat with its MLAs. This has made political tie-ups central for the fourth seat.
While the BJD’s numbers will prove pivotal for the seat, both the BJP and Congress seem to be reaching out to the party. In a significant statement, Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari said political parties always seek support beyond their ranks in any election. Avoiding direct reference to the BJD, he said, “The BJP may seek support from those wanting to extend help for its candidate.”
Minister for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Krushna Chandra Patra also stated that nothing is impossible in politics and unexpected moves can unfold anytime. “The BJP is keeping a close watch on the happenings in other political parties. New alignments are possible for the Rajya Sabha elections,” he said.
Meanwhile, president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Bhakta Charan Das said that he is likely to meet BJD president Naveen Patnaik in the first week of February. Das has sought an appointment with Naveen to discuss a possible understanding between the two parties for the Rajya Sabha elections.
Sources said the OPCC president is likely to propose fielding a joint candidate. “If BJD and Congress can join hands, they can win the fourth seat. I will discuss fielding of a distinguished personality from Odisha for Rajya Sabha,” he said.
However, the BJD did not seem interested in Das’ proposal. BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said there is no clarity on what the OPCC president intended to convey. “People from all walks of life and leaders across the political parties meet Naveen Babu. The BJD president will convey his stand on the Rajya Sabha election at the appropriate time,” he said.
While four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha will fall vacant, there has been intense speculation regarding the fourth seat. The tenure of four RS members from Odisha - Niranjan Bisi and Munna Khan from BJD, and Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta from BJP, will expire on April 2.