A day after securing the ruling BJP’s backing for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Odisha, former Union Minister Dilip Ray launched his campaign on Wednesday, confidently stating that securing the necessary additional votes would “not be a difficult task” for him.
Ray, the only parliamentarian from the state to serve as a Union Minister under three different Prime Ministers—Atal Bihari Vajpayee, H.D. Deve Gowda, and I.K. Gujral—announced on Tuesday that he would contest the March 16 Rajya Sabha elections as an Independent candidate despite being a BJP member.
In the race for four Rajya Sabha seats, the BJP has fielded state president Manmohan Samal and MP Sujeet Kumar as official nominees, while backing Ray for the fourth. The BJD has nominated Santrupt Misra and named renowned urologist Datteswar Hota as a “common” candidate for the final seat.
With neither major party holding enough numbers to win the fourth seat independently, the battle has narrowed down to a direct contest between the BJP-backed Ray and the BJD-supported Hota.
In the 147-member Odisha Assembly, a candidate needs 30 first-preference votes to win. The BJP holds 82 votes (including three Independents), leaving a surplus of 22 after its two official candidates are secured. The BJD, with 48 MLAs, will have 18 surplus votes after securing its first seat, while the Congress holds 14 and the CPI(M) has one.
To emerge victorious, Ray must bridge a gap of at least eight additional votes beyond the BJP’s surplus.
“It is not a difficult task for me. I have well-wishers in all parties. I had done it in 2002. Then, I arranged 30 votes by contesting as an Independent candidate and won. I am confident of securing the required support and winning the polls this time too,” Ray said.
The Rajya Sabha elections are necessitated by the expiring terms of BJD’s Niranjan Bishi and Munna Khan, and BJP’s Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta.
Ray’s campaign began with a visit to veteran politician Bijoy Mohapatra’s residence. Mohapatra’s son Arvind, a recently suspended BJD MLA, noted that while Ray is a family friend, no decision on voting has been finalised. Another suspended BJD legislator, Sanatan Mahakud, is also viewed as a potential Ray supporter.
“Yes, Dilip uncle had visited our place, and he is a family friend. There is nothing about RS polls. I have not decided who to vote for. Let the nomination and withdrawal process be completed, then we will make a decision,” Arvind Mohapatra said.
Ray also reached out to the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) for backing. However, OPCC President Bhakta Charan Das stated he declined the request, citing the party’s existing commitment to Dr. Datteswar Hota.
“There is no opposition to him as a friend, but he represents the BJP, which has big ideological differences with Congress. Friendship will have no role when there are ideological differences,” he said.
Das claimed that Hota would secure 33 votes — 18 from BJD, 14 from Congress and one from CPI(M) — exceeding the required 30 first-preference votes.
“All our MLAs are united, and there is no chance of cross-voting,” he asserted.
While the BJD’s Santrupt Misra echoed confidence in a united opposition front, Ray remains steadfast, banking on his past success in navigating complex parliamentary arithmetic.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and BJP leader Manmohan Samal have also voiced their support for Ray’s ability to gather the required numbers.
