By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: In 147 members Odisha Assembly, BJP has 79 MLAs with support of 3 Independent taking the tally to 82.
BJP after electing Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar , Party’s 22 more votes remaining wile it required just 8 votes to ensure Dilip Ray’s victory.
BJP is eyeing on suspended BJD MLAs Sanatan Mahakud, Arbinda Mohapatra, dismissed BJD Leader Pravat Biswal’s MLA son Souvik Biswal and side-lined Congress MLA Sofia Firdous.
If BJP gathered these 4 votes, it will take to 26 and only 4 votes required for Dilip Ray.
In 2002, Rajya Sabha Polls, Dilip Ray had managed to gathered 30 votes and MLAs of BJD, BJP and Congress voted for him. This time required figure only 4 votes.
By nominating Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar, BJP is signaling its intent to consolidate its footprint in the state while rewarding both long-term loyalty and recent political shifts.
Biju Janata Dal holds 48 seats in Odisha Assembly after suspension of two MLAs. After securing one seat for Santrupt Misra, they are left with 18 surplus votes. The decision by the Congress, which has 14 MLAs, and the CPI(M), with one MLA, to support Dr. Hota gives the opposition a combined total of 36 surplus votes.
After 30, 18 from BJD + 15 from Congress-CPM combined to make 33 MLAs, it can be difficult for Dilip Ray to win the polls if there is no cross voting.
Dilip Ray, a veteran politician, former Union Minister (Steel and Coal in the Vajpayee government), and prominent hotelier from Odisha, has announced his entry into the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Odisha as an independent candidate. This development occurred shortly after the BJP announced its official candidates for two of the four seats up for grabs (state BJP president Manmohan Samal and sitting MP Sujeet Kumar).
The Odisha BJP has explicitly extended support to Ray’s independent bid, with state president Manmohan Samal confirming the party’s backing “on principle” and expressing confidence in his victory. Ray plans to file his nomination on March 5, 2026, likely with BJP MLAs as proposers. He has discussed this with the BJP’s central leadership, where he enjoys good rapport.
