Rajya Sabha Polls: BJD to hold key meeting today to finalise candidate

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is set to hold a crucial meeting on Friday to deliberate on the party’s candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

All BJD MLAs have been asked to assemble at Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar for the meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 5 pm. The meeting will be chaired by BJD president Naveen Patnaik and is expected to focus on the party’s strategy and the finalisation of its nominee.

Sources said the Rajya Sabha elections are likely to be the central agenda of the meeting, with legislators expected to hold detailed consultations. The development comes a day after the party’s Political Affairs Committee reportedly discussed the issue of candidate selection at length.

Meanwhile, sitting Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra has purchased six sets of nomination forms, sparking speculation in political circles about his possible renomination.

Although the party has not made any official announcement so far, the back-to-back meetings and recent developments have intensified anticipation over the BJD’s choice for the Upper House seat.

Notably, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued the formal notification for the Rajya Sabha elections on Thursday, initiating the process to fill 37 vacancies across 10 states, including four seats in Odisha.

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The nomination process began on Thursday and will continue until March 5. Scrutiny of nomination papers is scheduled for March 6, while March 9 has been fixed as the last date for withdrawal of candidature. Polling will be held on March 16.