By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Naveen Patnaik, as the chief of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Leader of Opposition in Odisha, has decided to field two candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Odisha (polling scheduled around March 2026 for four seats becoming vacant).
The candidates are:
Dr. Santrupt Misra (senior BJD leader and close aide to Patnaik) for one seat (likely the third, which BJD can realistically claim based on its numbers).
Dr. Datteswar Hota (renowned urologist, former principal of SCB Medical College, and first Vice-Chancellor of Odisha University of Health Sciences) for the fourth seat, positioned as a “common candidate” or joint opposition nominee.
He has explicitly appealed to all parties (including Congress) to support Dr. Hota for the fourth seat.
This comes despite BJD lacking sufficient MLAs on its own (around 48 votes, enough for one seat comfortably but short for two without support). The ruling BJP has the numbers (around 79-82 MLAs plus independents) to secure two seats easily and potentially push for a third or fourth.
Signalling What?
This move is a clear strategic signal from Naveen Patnaik and BJD:
No alliance or support for BJP — By fielding a second candidate and framing Dr. Hota as a “common” one (implicitly backed by opposition like Congress, which had proposed similar ideas), BJD is refusing to back down or align with the ruling BJP. This breaks any speculation of post-2024 reconciliation or tacit support for BJP in Rajya Sabha polls, especially after BJD’s 2024 assembly defeat ended its long rule and ended prior informal understandings with BJP.
Opposition unity against BJP’s dominance — It’s an attempt to unite opposition forces (primarily Congress) on the fourth seat to block BJP from a potential clean sweep or third seat. Congress leaders have welcomed this, seeing it as preventing horse-trading and putting forward a non-partisan, respected figure (Dr. Hota) as a joint candidate. This marks a shift from BJD’s past “equidistance” policy toward more active anti-BJP positioning in Odisha.
Reviving BJD’s relevance and morale — After the 2024 losses (reduced to opposition status, zero Lok Sabha seats), this bold play shows BJD is “diminished but not dismantled.” It’s a message to party workers, supporters, and rivals that Patnaik remains a key player willing to challenge BJP directly, boost internal unity, and project BJD as a viable opposition force rather than a weakened entity open to deals.
Disrupting BJP’s plans — BJP aimed for a strong showing in Rajya Sabha (possibly 3 seats), but this forces them into a contested fight for the fourth seat, potentially exposing vulnerabilities or requiring extra maneuvering (e.g., courting independents or suspended MLAs).
Overall, it’s Patnaik signalling defiance, a pivot toward opposition consolidation, and an effort to rebuild BJD’s political standing in Odisha by not conceding ground to the BJP government. This comes amid ongoing criticism of BJP’s governance on issues like law and order, farmer welfare, etc., positioning BJD as a counter-force.
