Bhubaneswar: The official process for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha has commenced following a formal notification from the Election Commission of India. The Election Commission of India has issued the official notification for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections in Odisha to fill four seats that will become vacant on April 2, 2026.
The terms of the sitting members including Mamata Mohanta, Sujeet Kumar, Munna Khan, and Niranjan Bishi are set to expire, necessitating the upcoming polls. According to the announced schedule, the nomination process begins today, February 26, and will continue until March 5. This will be followed by scrutiny on March 6 and a withdrawal deadline of March 9.
If the number of candidates exceeds the available seats, polling will take place on March 16 between 9 am and 4 pm. The counting of votes is scheduled for 5 pm on the same day, with the entire election cycle intended to conclude by March 20. The 147-member Odisha Legislative Assembly serves as the electoral college, where each candidate requires 31 first-preference votes to secure a victory.
The current composition of the assembly has created an interesting mathematical scenario. The Bharatiya Janata Party holds 79 seats and enjoys the support of three independent MLAs, giving them a total of 82 votes. This strength is sufficient to comfortably elect two candidates. However, party leaders have indicated they may field a third candidate, which would require significant political maneuvering or cross-voting to succeed.
On the other side, the Biju Janata Dal has 50 MLAs, ensuring the victory of at least one candidate with 19 surplus votes remaining. The Congress party, which holds 14 seats, does not have the numbers to win a seat on its own but has expressed interest in fielding a candidate. Discussions are reportedly underway between the Congress and the BJD to potentially support a consensus candidate of eminence for the fourth seat to challenge the BJP’s dominance.
While official lists are still being finalized by the party high commands, names like former Union Minister Dilip Ray and industrialist D.R. Patnaik have been frequently mentioned in political circles as potential contenders for the contested fourth seat. The upcoming weeks are expected to see intense strategic shifts as parties move to secure their nominations before the March 5 deadline.