Bhubaneswar: The Congress party will support ‘common candidate’ Datteswar Hota in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das made this announcement today.

Earlier in the day, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, named Hota, an eminent urologist, as the ‘common candidate’ for the Rajya Sabha polls.

“I had met the BJD president last Monday and held discussions regarding a common candidate for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat. We will support Datteswar Hota in the March 16 elections. There should not be any horse trading in Rajya Sabha polls,” said Das.

The Rajya Sabha elections have been necessitated as four Rajya Sabha MPs from Odisha are scheduled to retire on April 2. The retiring members are Niranjan Bishi and Munna Khan of the BJD, and Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta of the BJP.

BJD fields Santrupt Mishra for Rajya Sabha polls  

The BJP has 79 MLAs in the 147-member Odisha Assembly. Besides, the party has the support of three independent legislators. The ruling party is almost certain to win two of the four vacant Rajya Sabha seats. The ruling party is yet to announce its candidates for the polls.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the main Opposition party in Odisha, has 50 MLAs and the Naveen Patnaik-led party is confident of winning one Rajya Sabha seat. The Naveen Patnaik-led party has nominated entrepreneur-turned-politician Santrupt Mishra for the March 16 polls.

However, neither the BJP nor the BJD has the number to win the fourth seat. The Congress party having 14 MLAs had earlier approached the BJD to nominate a common candidate for the fourth seat.