Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Tuesday officially announced the names of Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar as its candidates from Odisha for the upcoming Rajya Sabha (RS) elections.
The declaration was made by the party’s central committee through a press statement, finalising their candidature for the polls scheduled on March 16.
Soon after the announcement, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi congratulated Samal and Kumar.
In a post on X, he said: “I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Hon’ble State President Shri @SamalManmohan7 and senior party leader Shri @SujeetKOfficial on being nominated as the BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidates from Odisha. I pray to Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath for your success and a bright journey ahead.”
Samal, a former state minister and current Odisha BJP president, had lost the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections. Sujeet Kumar is a sitting RS MP, and his tenure is set to conclude in April.
The BJP nominees will contest two of the four RS seats from Odisha that are going to the polls this month.
Four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha will fall vacant in April as the terms of two BJP MPs and two BJD MPs come to an end.
The opposition BJD, which has 48 MLAs in the Assembly, is expected to secure one seat. The Congress, with 14 MLAs, is likely to support the BJD candidate for the remaining seat.
The RS elections in Odisha are scheduled to be held on March 16, setting the stage for a closely watched political contest in the State.
