Rajya Sabha buzz in Odisha: Chatter grows over Santrupt Mishra as BJD keeps mum

With four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha set to fall vacant in April, political discussions have picked up momentum across parties. Going by the current numbers in the Odisha Assembly, two seats are expected to go to the ruling BJP, while one seat is almost certain to be secured by the Opposition BJD.

Also Read: Rajya Sabha Polls: Fourth seat promises intriguing contest in Odisha

This has triggered intense speculation over who the BJD nominee will be.

Among the names doing the rounds, Santrupt Mishra, political adviser to BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, has emerged as a strong contender. A long-time corporate professional, Santrupt Mishra joined the BJD before the 2024 General Elections and had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Cuttack on a BJD ticket. His proximity to Naveen Patnaik has now fuelled speculation that he could be fielded for the Rajya Sabha.

However, neither the BJD nor Santrupt Mishra has issued any official statement on the matter so far.

Apart from Mishra, several other senior leaders are said to be aspirants for a Rajya Sabha berth. These include former bureaucrat Santosh Satpathy, Pranab Prakash Das, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Sanjay Das Burma, Debi Prasad Mishra, and Pratap Jena. As the vacancy date approaches, the political buzz within BJD continues to grow.

Worth mentioning, preparations for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections had earlier begun, triggering intense political discussions in Odisha. With the tenure of four Rajya Sabha members set to end in April, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had written to the State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to initiate preparatory measures.

The four Rajya Sabha members whose terms are ending include Munna Khan, Niranjan Bishi, Mamata Mohanta, and Sujit Kumar. As election preparations gain momentum, the political circles are abuzz with speculation over party nominees and seat calculations.

According to the current strength in the Odisha Assembly, the BJP is expected to secure two seats, while the BJD is likely to win one. However, the fourth seat has emerged as the most intriguing contest, as no party has the required numbers to win it outright.