Congress to seek BJD support to send Independent to Rajya Sabha

With the tenure of four Rajya Sabha members ending on April 2 this year, and no political party having the numbers to ensure the election of a fourth candidate, political manoeuvring has begun in Odisha.

Odisha Congress chief Bhakta Charan Das on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) said he would meet former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik to discuss the possibility of extending joint support to an Independent with “impeccable social standing”.

Odisha is represented in the Rajya Sabha by 10 MPs – seven from the BJD and three from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The tenure of BJD MPs Niranjan Bishi and Muzibulla Khan, and BJP MPs Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar, will end on April 2. Both Ms. Mohanta and Mr. Kumar were originally elected as BJD members before resigning and subsequently securing re-election on BJP ticket.

‘Strengthening Opposition’

In the 147-member Odisha Assembly, the BJP has 79 MLAs, followed by the BJD with 50, the Congress with 14, one member from the CPI(M), and three Independents. The BJP enjoys the support of all three. A candidate will require first-preference votes of 31 MLAs to secure election to the Rajya Sabha. Given the present strength, the BJP and the BJD can comfortably ensure the election of two and one candidates respectively. A fourth candidate could be elected if the Congress and the BJD join hands. Such an alliance has been a rarity in Odisha’s political landscape.

“It is the responsibility of the two parties to strengthen the Opposition in the State,” Mr. Das said.