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Bhubaneswar/Jajpur: Tara Ranjan Patnaik has already started preparations for again contesting in the ensuing Rajya Sabha polls as an independent candidate.
In an exclusive interview with OTV Tara Ranjan Patnaik disclosed that he would however take a final decision this time not on a personal basis but he would discuss the matter with political parties. In the last Rajya Sabha election Tara Ranjan was able to get the support of Congress and BJP members as an independent candidate.
The ruling BJD like in the last Rajya Sabha election has the numbers to win two seats while all the political parties have started hectic calculations for the third seat.
Tara Ranjan Patnaik, who is an entrepreneur by profession, has expressed his desire to contest the polls once again as an independent candidate.
Tara Ranjan told OTV that he would take a final decision only after his talks with the leadership of national parties like Congress, BJP, and the NCP. Tara also said that he would hold deliberations with independent MLAs and the CPI.
The CPI, NCP, and the independents would play a crucial in the election of the third candidate. The NCP leaders have expressed unhappiness about the alleged FIR against Dhenkanal MLA Navin Nanda lodged during the panchayat elections.
However, the leader of the NCP legislature party Amar Satpathy said that the decision of the highcommand would be final in this matter.
The secretary of the state unit of the CPI Divakar Nayak said that they were not bound to vote for the BJD for its alliance with the CPI.
On the other hand, the PCC chief Niranjan Pattanaik said that the party had not taken any final decision regarding the election.
In the last Rajya Sabha election in 2010, Congress members Gregory Minz, Shivaji Majhi, and Bhimsen Choudhury of BJP had abstained from voting despite party whips. All eyes would be glued on them in the current election.
Tara Ranjan Patnaik had lost in the last Rajya Sabha election. There were allegations of horse-trading and the matter is still under investigation.
