BJP romps home with three Rajya Sabha seats in Odisha, BJD content with one seat

The Bharatiya Janata Party secured victory of three candidates including an independent candidate, hotelier Dilip Ray, whom it supported while the Biju Janata Dal managed to win just one seat amid large scale cross-voting in the biennial Rajya Sabha elections that concluded on Monday.

State BJP President Manmohan Samal, sitting BJP MP Sujeet Kumar and BJD candidate Santrupta Mishra romped home with a comfortable victories with first preference votes from party MLAs. A fierce competition was expected between Mr Ray and Datteswar Ray, ‘common’ candidate announced by BJD with support from Congress and CPI (M).

In the end, it turned out to be one sided fight with many Congress and BJD MLAs defecting from party lines to vote in favour of Mr. Ray, who is one of founding members of BJD. As many as 11 MLAs including eight BJD and three Congress MLAs cross-voted.

Despite lacking the requisite numerical strength in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, the Mr. Ray secured an incredible victory. He had earlier pulled off a similar win in 2002, when the BJD was at its peak of its power.

In the 147-member Odisha Legislative Assembly, the BJP has 79 MLAs and also enjoys the support of three Independents. The principal Opposition party, the BJD has 50 MLAs, but its strength had effectively come down to 48 after the party suspended MLAs Aravind Mohapatra and Sanatan Mahakud over alleged anti-party activities. However, BJD directed both of them to vote as per party whip as they were elected on party ticket.

Going by numbers, minimum 30 votes were required for one seat, BJP would have comfortably won two seats while BJD would have sent two candidates.

Since morning all BJP, BJD and Congress members, where were put up together in different places, arrived in Odisha Legislative Assembly to cast their votes. As the day progressed, BJD MLAs one after another openly admitted to have voted against party whip and supported Mr. Ray.

“I was suspended from the BJD, and subsequently my seat in the House was also changed. The party never contacted me regarding who the candidates were or whom I should vote for. I have already stated that I would not run behind the BJD. Which law requires a suspended MLA to comply with a whip issued by the party? I have voted keeping in mind the best future of the State,” said Sanatan Mahakud, Champua MLA.

Debi Ranjan Tripathy, BJD MLA, said he voted for independent candidate after BJD had entered into unholy alliance with Congress.

Flanked by three winning candidates, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, “it is a momentous day in Odisha’s history. This is not a party victory, but reflection of strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

“I have spoken to you in last few days about BJP and its allies, you know what I mean, for the horse-trading they will do. They have collected a number of persons who voted for them. Most of them have criminal past, I am ashamed to say. You can check yourself as to how many of their parents went to jail and how they were with them,” said BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik.

Mr. Majhi reacted sharply saying it was unbecoming on part of a leader who was helm of the affairs of 24 years to pass such comment.

“Congress MLAs Ramesh Jena, Dasarathi Gamango and Sofia Firdous have cross voted in favour of BJP’s candidate in Rajya Sabha elections. This act of betrayal was unexpected from them. We will ensure that they are expelled under the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution,” said Bhakta Charan Das, President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee.

“Everyone knows my relationship with leaders across party line. I pay my gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi and BJP president Manmohan Samal for their total support. I have won because of support of many in BJD and Congress,” said BJP-backed independent candidate Dillip Ray.